The 'Save Me' series
by rosenbaumgirl23
Summary: Can Chloe keep Lex from becoming evil? *added a schmoopy 8th chapter* Chloe gives birth.
1. Fabulous Freaks of Nature

Fabulous Freaks of Nature  
  
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe  
  
Couple: Chloe/Lex, some Clark/Lana  
  
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me. The lyrics come from the songs, 'One', 'Your Congratulations', and 'Joining U'- all by the wonderful Alanis Morissette.  
  
A/N for anyone who cares: I got the title from an Alanis lyric. It seemed fitting enough.  
  
* *  
  
I am the biggest hypocrite I've been undeniably jealous ..I've gotten candy for my self-interest The sexy treadmill capitalist Heaven forbid I be criticized Heaven forbid I be ignored  
  
I wouldn't have compromised So much of myself for fear Of having you hating me  
  
* *  
  
Chloe decided that Luthor Manor had never been more crowded. As she strolled through the corridors of the mansion's less congested second level, she retracted the thought; she didn't give a damn if the disgustingly large house had ever been closer to full capacity than it was that evening. It was just something mindless to think about as she escaped the racket of the boisterous New Year's bash that one Lex Luthor--twenty- one year old son of Lionel Luthor, Smallville's own billionaire--was throwing for some friends and--she dropped her head over the railing that lined the hallway, scanning the ballroom--too many business associates.  
  
"Why, Miss Sullivan," the host himself greeted her as she turned a corner, "are you finding anything worthy of your Wall of Weird?" His tone was sardonic and his infamous smirk graced his lips. She unconsciously let her eyes wander up his long, thin body: on his feet, he wore designer shoes that probably cost more than all the clothes she owned. He wore tailored black pants that probably cost more than her house, and a tight, tailored black dress shirt that she decided cost more than all the electronics equipment in her school's computer lab.  
  
She leaned casually against an off-white wall, feeling self-conscious in her jeans--which were on the expensive side, but nowhere near the cost of one of his socks--and baggy tan sweater. "No, Lex. Unfortunately the other thing out of the ordinary here is my presence."  
  
He mirrored her position, facing her. "I'd be inclined to disagree with that statement." He shrugged, which he managed just fine, despite one shoulder being against the wall.  
  
Chloe, feeling more sure of herself, remarked, "Just because you happen to be my father's boss, that doesn't mean you can get away with patronizing me." She was referring to the way he'd greeted her, but didn't feel the need to explain that to him.  
  
Had Lex had any hair follicles, his eyebrow would have raised. "How have I patronized you?" His tone changed from friendly to curious; as though he no idea what caused her to say that.  
  
She didn't let him get to her; it took more than an obnoxious billionaire's son to ruffle Chloe Sullivan's feathers. "'Why, Miss Sullivan, are you finding anything worthy of your Wall of Weird?'" She made a face. "First you have the gall to call me 'Miss Sullivan' then you insult my pride and joy."  
  
The Wall of the Weird was just what it sounded like; a wall in the Torch office she'd devoted to newspaper clippings about the odd things that occurred in Smallville. Her long-lasting theory was that everything bizarre happened because of the meteor shower twelve years before. So far, nothing had proved her to be wrong.  
  
The infuriating smirk on Lex's face got bigger. "I thought the school paper was your pride and joy, Miss Sullivan." He wasn't going to let it go.  
  
Taking a deep breath to control her annoyance, she shot back with, "I'm finding it hard to take you--a prematurely bald man--seriously." He winced at that, and she mentally congratulated herself. He was apparently self- conscious about the meteor shower's causing him to lose his hair. "And anyway, the Wall of the Weird is an extension of the Torch, so they're both my pride and joy," she continued.  
  
He nodded. "I see. Want to get back to the party?" He vaguely motioned to the next floor down. Pounding music wafted up through the rafters.  
  
Now she smirked. "Oh, yeah. I'm really big on socializing, especially with the stuffy business associates whom you call friends."  
  
A sigh escaped his lips, catching her off guard. "They aren't my friends, Chloe. Clark is one of the few friends I have. I have to tolerate all of them-" frowning, he waved toward the floor again, "-otherwise my father will kill me." He then muttered something that sounded like, as though he hasn't all ready done that, but, although Chloe was curious as to what he said, she had too much tact to ask him to repeat himself.  
  
Things were beginning to feel uncomfortable. She cleared her throat and stepped away from the wall. "Um, do you mind if I continue to look around?"  
  
His shrug told her he couldn't care less. "Whatever." Then Lex brightened-- which meant that he once again adopted his smirk, and stood a little straighter. "Want a tour?"  
  
The editor of the Torch wasn't sure if she could stand being alone with Lex any longer. Still, she didn't want to get lost in the twisting hallways of the Manor's multiple floors. "Why not. I'm sure you know the place better than anyone."  
  
As they continued down the hall, he made a noise that was either a snort or a stifled laugh in reply to her comment. She didn't know why he was so amused. "This is a guest room," he announced, throwing open an ominous wooden door. Inside, she saw a huge bed draped with a white down comforter. Next to it was a night table. It wasn't nearly as pretentious as she'd been expecting. She said as much.  
  
Her guide made the noise again as he shut the door. "That was a guest room. We're the Luthors; we don't have guests like normal people, thus we don't care how those rooms look. If you want pretentious, you should see my room." With that, they climbed to the next floor, via a hidden staircase. They walked a short distance before he pushed open a door that stood ajar. She assumed it was his bedroom and walked in.  
  
Despite herself, Chloe gaped. The king-sized bed alone looked like it would fill her living room. There was a desk--covered with a mountain of the latest high-tech equipment--about the size of an average in-ground swimming pool by the window, which itself appeared to be as large as one of her bedroom walls. "Lex, this is absurd," she observed, not caring if she insulted him.  
  
He almost laughed, following her inside. "I know."  
  
"I mean, the desk in your office is about as big as this entire room. Why a whole other desk? Isn't one computer system enough?"  
  
She ran her hand over the flat-screened computer monitor, in secret awe. If the Torch office had computers like that--she cut off the thought; she would not get impressed with some gadget.  
  
"I like you, Chloe," Lex remarked, perching on the leather chair behind the desk, resting his feet on top of his enormous date book and crossing his ankles. "You're not afraid to say what you think. I also appreciate your not throwing yourself at my feet. I hate it when girls do that."  
  
"Not that you're conceited about that, or anything." Smirking again, she plopped on the black bedspread, not caring if she caused it to wrinkle. Look at me, Dad! Being snotty toward your boss. He would lock her up forever if he learned of the conversation she and Lex were having. The thought made her laugh.  
  
"What's funny?" Lex wondered, actually sounding curious.  
  
She shook her head, her wavy blonde hair spilling into her eyes. "I was thinking of how my father would react if he knew I was sitting in your room, on your bed, trading barbs. He'd disown me."  
  
To her surprise, he lowered himself on the bed next to her. "That's what I hate. Just because my father has a lot of money, people act like I'm royalty or something."  
  
Chloe refused to feel sorry for him. "Lex, how do you expect people to act around you? You may not do it intentionally, but everything about you screams, 'I'm powerful, pay attention to me, but don't get too close. I'm Lionel's son; I don't have time to do something as human as befriend anyone. Bow to me, my minions!'" She met his blue eyes with her own, and was alarmed by the sorrow revealed in his. That was when she realized she had taken it too far. "I'm so sorry. I was way out of line."  
  
He shrugged again, sighed. "No, you're right. I am like that." He rubbed his face with his hands, as though wiping away his pain. "It's my own fault that I'm feared by most people. My associates pretend to respect me simply because of--well, you can probably figure out why. I'm the same way with them, I suppose."  
  
She began to feel for him a little, though she was shocked that he was opening up to her. "Hey, Clark respects you for who you are. And I guess I do too." There. Chloe had admitted it; though she wasn't about to get all swoony over him--girls always wanted the lonely bad boys--she was beginning to like him.  
  
Was that a real smile on his handsome face? "I appreciate that, Chloe. I really do. Thank you for seeing me as a person; I need that." His voice lowered; he sounded almost wistful.  
  
From below, she heard the beginning of a famous love song. It happened to be one of her favorites; not that she told people that. If anyone knew that she enjoyed popular music, she'd lose her reputation as the Outsider, which she rather valued. "Lex, do you want to dance? I love this song, and I'd really like to dance with you."  
  
This time he truly smiled, taking her hand and pulling her off the bed. His grip was warm and firm. He held her loosely around the waist, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. They smiled as they swayed back and forth. "This is nice," he remarked against her hair. "I can finally dance with someone who doesn't have an ulterior motive."  
  
She let her cheek rest against his chest. "And I with someone who won't try to get me in bed afterward."  
  
He chuckled. "Chloe Sullivan, outsider, editor of the Torch, and sarcastic as all get out."  
  
"That wasn't sarcastic."  
  
"I know. I was speaking in general terms." He lifted her chin, so she was looking in his eyes. A quick glance at his watch alerted him to the time. "It'll be midnight in about two hours." His gaze softened. "But in some other country far away from here, it'll be midnight in eight seconds."  
  
"Does this country have a name?" she teased.  
  
"Probably," he whispered, drawing her even closer.  
  
Much to her surprise, Chloe met his kiss. It was delicate and friendly but it touched her somehow. "Happy New Year," she whispered against his chest.  
  
"You too," he returned, his lips close to her ear.  
  
It then occurred to her that she was being held by Lex Luthor, heir to the Luthor Estate; the man for whom other girls would sell their body parts. Chloe was learning, though, that he wasn't simply a mysterious, rich, powerful, bad boy--the way most of those girls saw him. He was as much a person, as much an outsider, as she.  
  
"Lex," she sighed, surprised by how pathetic she sounded. Trust a kiss to drop her in the middle of the lovesick masses.  
  
"Yes?" he asked, stroking her hair.  
  
"Kiss me again."  
  
There was fire in their less-than platonic second kiss.  
  
"You and I aren't so different, Chloe," he told her when they broke it off. He held her by the shoulders, holding her firm gaze with his own. "We're both struggling to fit in amongst the superficial types." He kissed her lips quickly before going on. "Granted I can become superficial when a business deal calls for it, but you--you stand by what you believe even in the face of adversity. I admire you for that."  
  
She smiled. "Gee, Lex, you sure know how to make a girl feel warm and fuzzy all over." Truthfully, she was flattered by his words. She almost said so, but then bit her tongue; he would most likely crawl back behind his impenetrable wall if he realized that what he'd said was kind.  
  
Some impulse made her hug him. If he was surprised, he didn't show it. The billionaire's son merely wrapped his arms around her and gently rocked her back and forth.  
  
"I think I could handle going back downstairs now. That is, if you can handle it," she said quietly.  
  
He nodded, taking her hand and leading her back through the maze of corridors. Chloe was grateful; she would never have been able to find her way back to the ballroom. She said as much.  
  
Lex chuckled. "If you hadn't found your way, I would have rescued you. You'd make a great damsel in distress." When she glared, he laughed. It was a deep, rolling laugh, the likes of which she would never have expected to come out of his mouth.  
  
But-she thought as they descended the hidden stairs-I've learned that even Lex Luthor is capable of the unexpected.  
  
* *  
  
I have abused my so-called power Forgive me ..I've been out of reach And separatist  
  
I would not have been so Self-deprecating I would not have cowered For fear of having my eyes Scratched out  
  
* * * * *  
  
Before she knew it, they were in the middle of the seemingly-endless ballroom. Balloons and silver streamers adorned the walls, music blared out of hidden speakers. The businessmen milled around, making small talk with each other, while the high school students danced animatedly. A couple in the very corner of the room caused Chloe to nudge her companion.  
  
"Will you look at that!" she exclaimed, pointing.  
  
She felt herself returning Lex's grin. As they watched, Clark Kent--Chloe's best friend since they were toddlers, and Lex's since Clark saved his life earlier that year--pulled Lana Lang--head cheerleader, and the love of his life--closer to him as they danced. The song that was playing was a popular hard rock tune, but the pair seemed oblivious.  
  
"I guess all your hard work paid off," Chloe continued.  
  
A sheepish smile-He's being modest now?-lit up his face as he gazed at his shoes. "Clark did the actual pursuing, I only gave him a shove in the right direction." Something came to him. "Where's Whitney?" he inquired, naming Lana's boyfriend--also the captain of the football team at Smallville High.  
  
"I guess they broke up," was all she could say, as a slow ballad began. "Dance with me."  
  
Lex looked ready to protest, but she wound her arms around him too quickly for him to utter a word. "Don't tell me you're afraid to dance with a girl who isn't someone your father chose, in front of your 'associates'."  
  
Recalling their conversation in the bedroom, he smiled; Chloe figured that had to have been the twelfth time since they had begun to chat. "Nah. I'm not afraid of anything at the moment."  
  
The dance ended mid-way through the song, and someone began to count down the seconds until midnight; neither Lex nor Chloe had any idea that it had gotten so late. They stood, arms around each other's waists, waiting.  
  
Moments later, somewhere in the mansion, a Grandfather clock chimed. Chloe counted to herself, and on the twelfth strike of midnight, she grabbed Lex and kissed him, throwing all her inhibitions out the window. He was hesitant at first--kissing in private was much different than kissing in front of a horde of people--but then he let himself fully focus on the moment.  
  
Though most people were still cheering, toasting and hugging when the breathless pair pulled back, Chloe noticed someone staring at them. She met Clark's curious glance over Lex's shoulder, not sure if she should try to explain things. No, there was nothing to explain; she and Lex were--not friends, precisely. What were they?  
  
Instead of confronting her best friend, she ducked out of Lex's embrace, ignoring his confused look. She smiled slightly at him, in attempt to reassure him that she wasn't upset with him. He returned her smile with a wink and a nod, before watching her run out of the Manor.  
  
* *  
  
If we were our nametags If we were our rejections If we were our outcomes I'd be joining you  
  
If we were our incomes If we were our obsessions If we were our afflictions I'd be joining you  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Chloe, what happened? I thought you didn't really like Lex!" Clark exclaimed, following her inside her house after school the next day. "Then, I look up at midnight and see you two practically getting naked in the middle of the ballroom; that's one for the Wall of Weird. I know lots of girls think he's sexy, but I thought you were above such things." He stood in the foyer of the Sullivan's modest house, his arms outstretched, perhaps to convey his confusion.  
  
A smirk graced her lips. "Clark, come on. We weren't 'practically getting naked'; we started talking upstairs, and at midnight I thought it would be a nice gesture if I kissed him. He's not a bad guy. And don't ever mock the Wall again." She rifled through that day's mail which she'd brought in with her, knowing full well that Clark was ready to scream at her for not telling him what had gone on.  
  
Clark paced around behind her as she got out her homework and went into the kitchen for a snack. "I know he's not a bad guy. That's what I've been telling you all along. It was a little unnerving to see you locking lips with my best friend, that's all. My other best friend, I mean." He easily caught the apple she tossed him from the bowl of fruit on the counter. "By the way, I didn't mock the Wall."  
  
"Sure you did; you suggested that my being nice to Lex was an abnormal occurrence that must be related to the meteor rocks. That, my darling Clark, constitutes mocking."  
  
He opened his mouth to deny it--perhaps to spew forth the definition of what it really means to mock something--when he noticed the bouquet on the table. His blue eyes widened; Chloe, following his gaze, merely raised an eyebrow. The paper-wrapped blossoms could only have come from Lex; who else could have afforded twelve Birds of Paradise, let alone managed to find any in their little town? He most likely had them specially delivered.  
  
"There's a card," her friend announced, picking up the tiny square of cardboard and deftly throwing it to Chloe. "Who would have sent you flowers?" When she smacked him upside the head, he attempted to amend the statement. "You aren't really the kind to--oh, nevermind. I can't make that sound better." He grinned, trying to peek over her shoulder as she read the note.  
  
Scooting out of the way, she tried to hide the delighted smile the card's contents brought to her lips. Clark was now trying to yank the note out of her hands. Since she was finished--and didn't care what he thought of her new acquaintance with Lex Luthor--she surrendered it.  
  
He gasped upon skimming the message; the last line caused him to form some ideas about what exactly had gone on the evening before.  
  
'Dear Chloe, I hope giving you flowers isn't too conventional. I needed to thank you again, though, for being kind to me yesterday. I hope we can chat again sometime; I was sincere when I said I liked you. Feel free to stop by anytime; my bedroom door is always open. Yours, Lex'  
  
"Did you and Lex-I mean, it says-" he sputtered, letting the piece of paper flutter to the floor. "You-he-Chloe!"  
  
She decided to tell Clark what he wanted to hear, even though it wasn't the truth. "Yes, Clark: Lex and I made mad, passionate love upstairs while you made out with Lana on the dance floor."  
  
That shut him up for sometime; he was rendered speechless by her 'admittance'. Chloe noted with a smirk that he didn't hurry to deny her allegations that he and Lana had spent most of the party in each other's arms.  
  
"All right, Stud, we've got homework to do." She led him to the living room and pushed him onto the couch. After she smacked him upside the head again and thumped his algebra book onto his lap, he regained his vocal processes.  
  
They worked steadily for some time, not speaking of Lex for the rest of the evening.  
  
When she bade Clark goodbye later that evening, she decided that a visit to Luthor Manor was in order the next afternoon.  
  
* *  
  
I wouldn't have cut my comfort off I wouldn't have feigned needlessness I would not have discredited Every one of their compliments It was your approval I wanted Your congratulations 


	2. Till the Storms Fill My Eyes

Rating: strong PG-13 for innuendo and semi-dirty Lex thoughts  
  
Couple: Chloe/Lex, with elements of C/C & Pete/Lana  
  
Spoilers: None.  
  
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me. The lyrics and title come from 'I Will Love You' by Fisher.  
  
A/N: This follows 'Fabulous Freaks of Nature'. It's best to read that one first.  
  
* *  
  
Till the Storms Fill my Eyes  
  
* *  
  
Till my body is dust  
  
Till my soul is no more  
  
I will love you, love you  
  
Till the sun starts to cry  
  
And the moon turns to rust  
  
* *  
  
Lex was only half-listening as the man on the other end of the phone argued. He wanted the call to be finished so he could concentrate on something other than work for once. Dad, LuthorCorp is still your company, he thought bitterly, resting his bare feet on the top of the ominous desk in his bedroom. You could do a little of the work occasionally.  
  
"Mister Luthor, I will not-" Lex set the portable receiver on the edge of the desk--his associate still blathering about something or other--when one of the housekeepers came to the door. The older woman stood in the doorframe, waiting to be acknowledged.  
  
"What is it?" he asked cordially. He tried to show respect for the staff, mainly because his father didn't.  
  
"Mister Luthor, sir, there's a Chloe Sullivan downstairs. Shall I tell her to wait in your office?" She avoided meeting his eyes, one of the annoying habits exhibited by most of the workers at Luthor Manor.  
  
Shaking his head, Lex suppressed the smile that threatened to overtake his face upon hearing Chloe's name; if the staff knew that he was seeing the daughter of a plant employee, the Manor's gossip mill would be alive and well. Gossip about his dear Chloe was the last thing he wanted. "No, send her up." As if inviting her up here instead of meeting her in my office won't get them talking.  
  
"Certainly, sir." With a curtsy--this isn't a castle! Lex wanted to yell-- she hurried away.  
  
After a moment, he picked up the phone again. "Look, those are my terms. Take them or leave them, but don't argue with me. Do we understand eachother?" He rarely allowed himself to get angry when making deals, but he had no problem being snippy when a situation called for it.  
  
"But-but-" the man sputtered.  
  
"Goodbye," Lex said firmly, clicking off the phone and setting it back in its charger. He closed his eyes for a moment.  
  
"Wow, not only are you handsome, but you can be really nasty. Remind me never to get in a fight with you," a familiar, welcome voice remarked, causing his eyes to snap open.  
  
"Chloe," he said with a grin, "how long have you been standing there?"  
  
She sauntered inside, and Lex took his time looking at her. She wore jeans, a black t-shirt and a green flannel shirt; he decided she'd never looked lovelier. It wasn't the outfit itself that was so attractive, it was the way she wore it. "Long enough to watch you be menacing," she answered casually. "That was quite fun to see, Lex. It's very sexy." She stood in front of his desk, her arms crossed, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Mind if I kiss you?" he asked, leaving his chair and standing next to her.  
  
She laid a hand on his chest to hold him still. "Wait. You checked me out, so I have to do the same. It's only fair, my dear Alexander." Her satisfied smirk told him she was awfully proud of herself; not many people got away with using his real first name.  
  
He obliged her request, remaining in front of her so she could look him over. "Hmm, disgustingly expensive leather shoes, custom-tailored black pants, top-of-the-line white dress shirt unbuttoned at the neck-" she craned her neck to see if there was anything thrown over his chair, "-and a gray jacket that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. Don't you ever wear anything, I don't know, normal?"  
  
Taking her hand in his, he led her to the bed. They perched on the edge, and he turned to her, ready to retort. "Does everyone in Smallville wear flannel all the time?"  
  
Chloe made a face, causing him to laugh. "Answering a question with a question--is that something they teach you to do at prep school?"  
  
Instead of answering, he bent down and kissed her. Before he focused on what he was doing, he lowered her onto the bed. She immediately pulled away from him. "Whoa, Lex. Let's not get carried away."  
  
He realized his mistake and blushed. Chloe knew it was the first time he'd ever been truly embarrassed. "I'm really sorry. I wasn't thinking. I wasn't trying-" She kissed him quickly, catching him off-guard.  
  
Her blue eyes glittered. "Shush. It's okay, I don't mind. I'm almost flattered that you'd want to sleep with me so soon. Still-" He held up a hand to cut her off.  
  
"I understand. We can take things as slowly as you need to, all right?" He grasped her hand, held it to his chest. "I really care about you, Chloe. This is the first time I've been in a relationship with someone that I truly want to spend time with. If you never reach the point where you want to sleep with me, that's perfectly fine. I'll respect any decision you make; I don't want to ruin this." Holding her gaze, he kissed the back of her hand.  
  
When he was through talking, she merely gazed at him. What he'd said was the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. For the first time since she could remember, Chloe didn't have anything sarcastic to say. She forewent talking, bringing her lips to his in a slow, tender kiss.  
  
Lex was smiling softly when they came up for breath. "You know what this means, don't you?" he whispered.  
  
Frowning, she shook her head.  
  
He ran his fingers through her wavy blonde hair. "This means that I just managed to render you speechless."  
  
Her vocal processes returned to her immediately following his statement. "What's wrong with my kissing you instead of saying something?"  
  
"Nothing at all. I've simply never seen a time when you haven't had anything snide to say." He shook with silent laughter as he watched her grow more and more bewildered. "You obviously have nothing to say to that, either."  
  
What she said in reply wiped the grin off his face, it was so unexpected. "I guess relationships change people, Lex." It wasn't an earth-shattering statement when taken on its own; paired with her serious tone and the look of pure love in her eyes, however, it made him shiver. No one had ever looked at him the way she did right then.  
  
The couple shared an intense gaze that was broken when she smirked. "I made you tremble, Alexander Joseph Luthor." She looked even prouder of herself for using his middle name.  
  
He chuckled. "You did, and you should be proud that I admitted it."  
  
She shook her head, still smirking. "No, I should be proud that I caused you to do so in the first place." She had a point, but he didn't tell her so; he had a certain amount of personal dignity to keep, even around the girl he loved.  
  
That's right, I think I love her. He didn't have much experience with that emotion, but he knew that Chloe made him feel it.  
  
After a few minutes of silence--during which they merely enjoyed being with eachother--Chloe spoke again. "Lex?"  
  
He faced her, kissing her forehead. "Hmm?"  
  
"I forgot to tell you that I received the flowers. They were lovely, but next time you want to impress me, forgo the sentimental crap."  
  
The co-owner of LuthorCorp laughed. "You've got it, honey." Then he frowned. "But what if, in the future, I want to give you a gift, to assure you of my eternal devotion?" He had a pretty good idea of what her answer would be, but he wanted to hear it from her own lips.  
  
Raising an eyebrow, she fixed him with an exasperated look. "Why is it that men always feel the need to express their commitment with gifts? I have yet to figure that out."  
  
"Jewelry it is, Chloe," he shot back, without missing a beat.  
  
She was going to smack him on the arm, but thought better of it and kissed him once again. Pulling back suddenly, she stared at her feet. In a gesture of concern, he clasped his hands in hers. "Lex, what I'm going to say is probably the last thing you expect to hear from me. Promise me that you won't judge me, or tell me to leave, or anything." She looked worried.  
  
Lex, expecting the worst, cupped her cheek in his hand. "I promise."  
  
She bit her lip. Am I sure this is the right time to tell him? she asked herself, aware that he was watching her intently. No, I'm not the slightest bit sure, but I've gone this far. "I think I love you."  
  
The look of relief that crossed his face puzzled her. "Chloe, why would I judge you for that, or anything else?" he demanded quietly, trying to look her in the eye as she avoided meeting his gaze.  
  
She shrugged, resting her elbows on her knees, her chin in her palm. "I don't know. You told me before that you were sick of girls throwing themselves at your feet. I guess I thought you would think that was what I was doing."  
  
Wrapping her in a backwards hug and hooking his feet around her ankles, he rested his chin on her shoulder. "Oh, Chloe; I don't think that at all," he whispered. "I'd never compare you to other girls; how could I? None of them have ever made me feel the way you do. No one else in the world makes me happier, or--as trite as it sounds--makes me want to be a better person more than you." He rocked her slowly back and forth. "I love you, Chloe Sullivan."  
  
A sigh escaped her lips, and she closed her eyes. "You're wonderful," she murmured, much to his surprise.  
  
"Me?" He was completely, sincerely shocked that she would think such a thing.  
  
"No, I was talking to my imaginary friend," she said with a grin, not opening her eyes.  
  
He kissed her neck. "Do me a favor and stop being so irresistible. If you don't, I won't be responsible for my actions."  
  
"You make that sound like it's a bad thing," she remarked, aware of how suggestive she was being, but enjoying it nonetheless.  
  
"I mean it, Chloe. I'm about to throw you against the wall and be completely uninhibited."  
  
"Don't threaten me, Lex. I have a hard time ignoring threats." She knew full well that she was driving him crazy, and she liked doing so.  
  
"I warned you," he teased, turning her around and catching her lips in a fierce yet affectionate kiss.  
  
She needed no further provoking, responding to his kiss with more fervor. However passionately she felt about him, though, Chloe wasn't about to give into her hormones and sleep with him. As much as she wanted to, she wasn't ready to deal with the complications that came with making love with Smallville's most powerful man.  
  
The sound of someone clearing his throat caused them to pull apart, breathless. Lex pasted a smile on his face as he greeted his housekeeper again. "Yes?" Chloe was impressed by how well he hid his embarrassment at being caught making out with her.  
  
"Mister Luthor, Clark Kent is here to see you. He's waiting in your office." Without waiting to be dismissed, the woman hurried away.  
  
Chloe frowned up at Lex, wondering why her best friend was stopping by the Manor. He obviously understood what the look meant for he said, "It's time for the weekly produce delivery." The Kent's farm being so close to Luthor Manor, they supplied fresh produce for the Luthor's cooks every week.  
  
"Got it. Mind if I come down with you?" she asked, leaving her hands on his chest.  
  
Smiling, he kissed her nose. "Of course not."  
  
He took her hand and guided her through the winding corridors, as he had done two days before. When they reached the hidden staircase that led to the next floor down, he pulled her close for a lingering kiss. "That should last me until after Clark leaves."  
  
When they reached Lex's first-floor office--still holding hands--they found Clark lounging on a straight-backed, black chair, staring forlornly into the crackling fireplace.  
  
"Clark. How's it going?" Lex wondered.  
  
Clark looked up, frowning when he noticed their entwined hands. The frown then vanished so quickly that Chloe wondered if she'd imagined it in the first place. A beaming smile took its place on his chiseled, handsome face as he stood to greet them. "Lex, Chloe. Did I catch you at a bad time?"  
  
That was when Chloe realized that her cheeks were flushed, her hair disheveled, her grin ecstatic. Being with Lex was exhilarating. "No, not at all," she replied quickly, squeezing Lex's hand as she said so.  
  
Her best friend nodded quickly, then focused on Lex. "Everything's fine for this week."  
  
"Great." Lex extended a hand, which Clark shook firmly. "Thanks again, Clark. Want to hang around for a while?"  
  
Shrugging, the boy plopped back on the chair. "Sure, as long as you two promise to control yourselves."  
  
Lex chuckled, taking a seat on the chair across from Clark's. Chloe, not wanting to make Clark uncomfortable by sitting on Lex's lap, sat on the floor by his feet.  
  
The trio talked long into the night, Clark gazing at the happy couple sadly the entire time.  
  
* *  
  
But I need to know,  
  
Will you stay for all  
  
Time, forever and a day  
  
And I'll give my heart,  
  
Till the end of all  
  
Time, forever and a day  
  
* *  
  
It had been a week since Chloe had visited the Manor, and Lex missed her terribly. He missed her smirk, her wit, her laugh, her lips--only seven days had gone by, and he was desperate to see her again. You've fallen madly in love, Luthor, he told himself with a smirk as he walked to the Sullivan's house one Monday evening when her father was out of town on business.  
  
Ringing the doorbell, he crossed his arms. The heir to the entire Luthor estate wasn't fond of being kept waiting, but for Chloe he'd wait forever. No matter how badly he wanted to see her smile again, he'd do anything, go anywhere, wait for however long she asked him to. She meant that much to him. I wish there was someway I could convey that to her, he mused.  
  
"Lex!" she greeted him with a heart-melting grin, throwing the door open. "This is a surprise." She yanked him inside, and, after shutting the door, kissed him sweetly. It was too chaste for him; before she left his arms, Lex kissed her with all the passion he'd kept bottled up over the seven days since they'd seen eachother. After a moment's hesitation, she kissed him back.  
  
"How fun, I get to watch my two best friends make out," a voice behind them said, sounding annoyed yet amused.  
  
Lex knew that voice. "Clark," he yelped, as Chloe disentangled herself from his embrace. "I didn't know you were over." He blushed. "Sorry you had to witness that." The top of his bald head even turned pink.  
  
"I missed watching Chloe and Lex make out?" Pete asked, coming out of the kitchen just then, a soda in his hand. "Darn my thirst!" He glared at the can in mock anger.  
  
Chloe, oblivious to Lex's embarrassment, laughed with her friends. "You didn't miss much, Pete; nothing worthy of Showtime anyway."  
  
The boys didn't seem to mind watching Lex's and Chloe's heated display of affection, so Lex relaxed. "That was about as intense as we get; our make out sessions are dull. Clark's on the other hand-" Everyone in the room knew that the boy in question didn't have much romantic interaction with the opposite sex. So, when the tips of his ears burned, they assumed he was reacting to Lex's sarcastic inference that he was unlucky in that respect. When he spoke, however, they all stopped laughing and stared at him.  
  
"Um, actually, Lana and I are usually tame in comparison."  
  
Pete, his mouth hung open in shock, was the first to respond. "Clark, man, you have to tell me these things! You and Lana are, like, a thing now?" The young African-American looked impressed; Lana Lang was, after all, the most unattainable girl at Smallville High.  
  
As Clark tried to answer his friend's rapid questions--he and Lana had danced at the New Years Eve party; they had spent time together in the Kent's barn; yes, they'd kissed before--Lex and Chloe took the opportunity to duck into her kitchen for some time alone.  
  
"Want me to kick them out?" she asked between breathless kisses.  
  
"If you want. Don't ever avoid me for so long again."  
  
Smiling, she snuggled against him. "I didn't want you to start taking me for granted." She tilted her head in the direction of the living room. "I would make them leave, but I'm too lazy."  
  
He was stuck on her earlier statement. "How could I take you for granted, Chloe? You know how much I love you."  
  
Her usual self-confidence faltered, and she sighed. "I can't help but wonder how many other girls you've said that to." She almost added, before you broke their hearts, but assumed he'd understand what she meant by her statement.  
  
It would've been improper to initiate another heated kiss right then; she wanted reassurance that he cared about her and only her; that he would never go behind her back, that he would never purposely hurt her. He was at a loss as to how to tell her what she needed to hear; he wasn't used to caring about anyone other than himself. Instead of being serious, Lex opted for humor. "This is me we're talking about here. Before you came along and kidnapped my heart for a priceless ransom, the word 'love' wasn't in my vocabulary."  
  
The smirk he'd been longing to see crossed her lips, erasing all evidence of the fear her face had previously held. "'Kidnapped my heart for a priceless ransom'? Wow, Lex. When you start using phrases like that--" She paused, frowned. "Blast. Because of you, I can think of nothing snarky to say. I'll hold you fully responsible if my dazzling wit doesn't return by the end of the day."  
  
Chuckling, he kissed her again.  
  
"Pete, come here! I think they're about to make out on the counter!" Clark shouted, shattering the romantic moment.  
  
Chloe pulled away from Lex's arms, rolling her eyes. "Need something, Kent?"  
  
The brown-haired boy nodded. "You're blocking the 'fridge."  
  
So they were. The couple relinquished their respective holds on eachother and headed back into the living room, giving Clark access to the refrigerator once again. "I guess we should've just gotten up on the counter," Lex whispered to her, his eyes twinkling.  
  
"No, because then Clark would find some reason to need a cutting board. He has it in for us," Chloe muttered, flopping on the couch and slinging her arm around Lex's broad shoulders.  
  
Pete, lounging on a recliner in front of the sofa and watching the couple with interest, decided to join the conversation. "I hate to burst your bubble, Chloe-dear, but he really did need a soda. Not everything that happens to you is a part of a world-wide conspiracy to ruin your life."  
  
"Says who?" she mumbled, wanting badly to kiss Lex again, but not wanting to give her two best friends the satisfaction of seeing her do so. Lex apparently felt the same way she did, for he winked at her, his hand massaging the back of her neck.  
  
Clark ambled back into the room, soda in hand, regaining his post on the floor. "Pete, maybe we should go. You know how Chloe gets when things don't go her way; I don't really want to be around when she starts to breathe fire."  
  
Sighing in resignation, Pete stood. "I guess you're right. Maybe we should go over to Lana's and I can bother you guys while you try to make out."  
  
"We really need to get you a girlfriend, Pete," Chloe observed.  
  
He grinned. "Finally, someone gets the hint." He poked Clark in the back of the head in attempt to get his attention. "Ready to go, Kent?" Seeing his friend's sudden frown, he added, "I was kidding about the Lana thing. I don't care if you guys make out while I watch." He ducked to avoid the pillow Chloe threw at him in disgust.  
  
Clark's gaze was fixated on Chloe and Lex. "Can you wait for me outside, Pete? I need to talk to Lex for a second."  
  
After calling goodbye over his shoulder, Pete was out the door. Five minutes passed silently, before something occurred to Chloe. "Oh! You meant talk to Lex without me," she said. Clark nodded. Pretending to be hurt, Chloe added, "Fine. I know when I'm not wanted." She started for the front door, but Lex caught her hand before she could get very far.  
  
"I love you," he announced, kissing her cheek quickly before releasing her.  
  
When Clark's face clouded at those words, Chloe was puzzled. "I love you, too. I'll be outside with Pete."  
  
Lex turned his attention to the boy on the floor, who waited until the front door slammed before speaking. "I need to discuss some stuff with you, Lex." The seriousness of his tone was alarming. Patting the spot Chloe had vacated, Lex motioned for Clark to sit. Clark shook his head. "I prefer the floor; You can't hurt me as easily down here."  
  
The billionaire crossed his arms as his forehead furrowed. "Out with it."  
  
"I'm worried about you and Chloe."  
  
Now they were getting somewhere. "Don't worry, Clark, I have no immediate plans to deflower your best friend. You can trust me to be responsible."  
  
Clark's hands suddenly fascinated him. "It's not that I'm worried you'll be irresponsible."  
  
He was infuriating when he wasn't direct. "Well, what then?"  
  
Blue eyes met blue eyes as Clark said matter-of-factly, "I'm in love with her."  
  
It took a lot to shock Lex Luthor. His best friend admitting that he loved Lex's girlfriend was more than enough to do it, however. He tried several responses out in his brain, but none of them seemed appropriate. So he said nothing.  
  
"I'm sorry for telling you, but I had to. It was torturing me. Don't let that stop you from seeing her; as long as she's happy, then I'm okay with it."  
  
"Clark, what about Lana?" It wasn't the best reply, but it was all he could come up with.  
  
When Clark sighed, he looked every bit his sixteen years: young, vulnerable, small. "I wanted her for a while, but once I fell for Chloe, I used Lana as a-a-replacement, I guess; someone to fill the void that Chloe left."  
  
He's really serious! "Wow. I'm not sure what to say."  
  
"Then don't bother saying anything." He paused, clearing his throat nervously. "Lex, there's something else; something that nobody--except for my parents--knows." Yet another pause. "Do you remember the meteor shower twelve years ago?"  
  
Lex smirked. Of course he remembered. "No, Clark, I don't; when I wake up every morning I have to ask myself why I no longer have hair."  
  
The sarcastic remark was lost on Clark, who started picking at the Sullivan's tan carpet. "Um, you're not going to believe me, but I-I'm from- the shower-" He sighed, biting his lip in attempt to collect his thoughts. "I came to Earth with the meteors. I have these--powers because of them. Nothing can hurt me except for the rocks-" He would have said more, but Lex held up a silencing hand.  
  
"Let me see if I understand what you're telling me: you're some sort of alien."  
  
The younger boy shrugged, finally meeting his friend's gaze. "My parents-- who aren't my real parents, by the way--don't know what I am. They found me in the cornfield that night and adopted me. I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but I thought you should know."  
  
Lex was strangely touched. "Again, I'm not sure what to say. I'm glad you told me." His eyes filled with intense curiosity. "Can you show me one of your powers?"  
  
After a beat of hesitation, Clark nodded. "Watch." Lex obeyed, keeping his eyes focused on his friend, who stood up from the floor. His form got blurry and disappeared. From upstairs, a door slammed; then Clark came back into focus three seconds later, standing in front of the couch.  
  
The young Luthor blinked several times, turning the information over in his mind. Did I really just see that?  
  
"You just...made yourself disappear." he remarked, at a loss for words once again.  
  
Clark grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Actually, I ran up and down the stairs twice. I shut the door so you'd know that I was there." He crossed his arms, pleased with himself. "Shut your mouth, Lex; you look like a nerd, sitting there gaping."  
  
That explains why Lana's necklace made him so weak! It was making sense. "Lana's necklace is made from a meteor; you were wearing it the day I pulled you off the cross-" He broke into a grin himself. "Now I see. That's why I didn't kill you when I ran you over, why you were able to save me all those times!" He jumped up, more excited than he'd been in a long time. Shocking both of them, Lex hugged his friend tightly.  
  
When they pulled away from eachother, Clark looked worried. "I know you're a chemistry nerd and you probably want to have Your People do tests on me, but-"  
  
Clasping his hands on the boy's shoulders, Lex looked him firmly in the eye. "I won't tell anyone unless you say I can. I know what the government would do to you if they found out, and I don't think you want to be a lab rat."  
  
A grateful smile filled Clark's face. "I appreciate it, Lex." He darted to the window and peeked behind the curtain. "Pete and Chloe are in the midst of an in-depth conversation. Uh oh-"  
  
Lex was by his side in a second. "What?"  
  
"Chloe's freaking out."  
  
Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, Lex next headed for the front door, throwing it open. "No doubt she's come up with another theory regarding meteor rocks and the cheerleading squad."  
  
Laughing, the pair stepped onto the porch. Sure enough, Chloe was squealing about something or other, and Pete looked embarrassed. When he noticed they were no longer alone, he motioned for his companion to be quiet.  
  
She faced the others, a huge, giddy smile on her face. "Hi, boys. Did you have a nice chat? Petey and I did!" She started to bounce in her seat.  
  
The older boy grabbed his girlfriend's hand and pulled her up. "Since when do you call him 'Petey'?" Before she could answer, he drew her nearer for a long kiss.  
  
The sound of two throats clearing reminded the happy couple that they weren't by themselves. "Sorry," Chloe blushed, pulling back from Lex's arms. "Bye, Clark, Pete."  
  
The former waved, a grin still on his lips. "Bye, Chloe. Bye, Lex." Pete echoed the sentiments before allowing himself to be dragged away.  
  
When the porch was devoid of other company, Chloe smiled knowingly at Lex. "You'll never guess what Pete told me."  
  
A sigh escaped his mouth. "Can I finally kiss you after you tell me?" He absently played with her hair while he waited for her to divulge whatever it was she needed to divulge. "Because I've been waiting to have a moment alone with you all day."  
  
She chose not to comment on what he said, instead squealing, "Pete has a crush on Lana!"  
  
"That's-he what?" It took a second for the news to sink in. When it did, a lead weight settled into the pit of the man's stomach. If Pete has a thing for Lana, she could go out with him, leaving Clark free to-- The thought was too upsetting to finish. Of course, that would mean she'd have to like Pete as more than a friend.  
  
Chloe's giddiness faded when she noticed the way Lex was staring at her. "Hey, sweetie, what is it?" She touched his cheek, frowning. "Is everything okay?"  
  
His warm hand covered hers. Closing his eyes, he nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine; just a little preoccupied." A smile lit up his face, causing the girl to relax. "You should call me 'sweetie' more often; it's nice."  
  
She kissed him affectionately. "Well, sweetie, my dad is out of town for the week, and it's about dinnertime--want me to teach you how to make pizza?" The idea seemed to please her, so he went along with it.  
  
In the modest kitchen, she hurried about, pulling ingredients out of various cabinets while Lex stood in a corner, a bit overwhelmed. She motioned for him to stand next to her, and he did so. On the counter in front of them sat a block of bright yellow cheese, a bowl, and a cheese grater.  
  
"Do you know how to grate cheese?" she asked, sticking the cheddar block in his large hands.  
  
He stared dubiously at the food, wrinkling his nose in distaste. Chloe bit back a smile; he looked so innocent and confused. "Cheddar on pizza?" He found that it was unwrapped and sniffed it. "It's bright yellow."  
  
This time, she had to laugh. "Don't tell me you've never eaten cheddar!" It seemed incredibly strange that a world traveler such as himself could be flabbergasted by such a simple food. "Doesn't your cooking staff ever make pizza? What do they use?" She left the other side of the counter where she was chopping green peppers, and stood behind him.  
  
"They use brie and camembert, typically." He picked up the cheese and rested it against the grater, as she instructed. Then, her hand covering his, she helped him grate a substantial amount of cheddar into the bowl. "That seems easy enough," he observed, disappointed that she'd stepped away from him to finish with the vegetables.  
  
"Can you grate the mozzarella now?" she wondered, pointing to a chuck of soft, white cheese. "Or do I have to help you with that too?"  
  
It crossed Lex's mind to feign helplessness; it was pleasant having her stand so close to him. But--as Luthors never, ever admit to needing help unless it's absolutely necessary--he decided to try it himself. "I think I can handle it." He did what she'd shown him, succeeding fairly well.  
  
He smiled at her from across the counter top, finally letting himself really look at her. She wore a loose, faded gray t-shirt and baggy black drawstring pants. It was a casual ensemble, but he thought she looked fantastic. He then glanced down at his own outfit--long-sleeved, black silk shirt and gray, tailored pants--and realized how pretentious he appeared in comparison.  
  
"Lex, sweetie," she said suddenly, breaking into his thoughts. "Could you open a can of sauce and put it in a bowl? I have to finish making the dough." She was busily mixing something in a large bowl, and he noticed she had a streak of flour on her cheek.  
  
After surveying the kitchen for a second, he located two cans of red tomato sauce. A can opener rested on top of one, and he hoped that he could figure out how to use it. "I hope I can do this," he muttered to himself, trying in vain to puncture the lid.  
  
She watched him, amused; never in a thousand years would she have guessed that there was something Lex Luthor couldn't do. Her feelings for him were so intense, however, that she couldn't find the situation funny for very long. She fitted his hands on the handle of the can opener, and showed him how to twist it.  
  
Remaining by his side, she saw that the tip of his tongue was sticking out as he worked. It was a facial expression she was fond of adopting when hacking away on a story for the Torch.  
  
"There you go," she encouraged, as he lifted the lid off, smirking. He tipped the can to dump the contents in a small bowl she'd provided, when his hand slipped. In a matter of seconds, her shirt and hair were splattered with dots of tomato sauce. The remainder of the can hit the floor, exploding onto her bare feet.  
  
An embarrassed guffaw escaped his lips before he clamped a hand over his mouth. She crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow, and attempted to suppress a laugh of her own.  
  
"Chloe, honey, I'm so sorry. I knew I was no good at this cooking stuff!"  
  
"A Luthor admits defeat," she retorted as he grabbed a dishrag and tried to scrub off her shirt front. "It's fine, Lex, really. I'll go change." Before she could walk very far, he grabbed her arm.  
  
"Wait." To her astonishment, he proceeded to unbutton his shirt. After taking it off, he ceremoniously handed it to her. "Wear this. I've always wanted to see you in silk." He grinned at the mental image he'd created of her in nothing but-Slow down there, Lex.  
  
She accepted the offered garment, not taking her eyes off his bare chest. He was amazingly fit for a man who ran a plant from behind a desk all day. "There's a sight I'm not soon to forget," she announced, before she could stop herself. Shaking her head fiercely, she managed to pry her eyes from his body. "Turn around," she ordered.  
  
He did so, fighting back the urge to watch her change shirts. Behave yourself. Respect her boundaries or you don't deserve to be with her. She deserves someone like Clark; someone who can treat her as well as she needed to be treated. I try, but I'm not used to caring about- Her voice mercifully ended his depressing train of thought. "Can I look now?"  
  
"Sure." He turned and gasped; she was even more gorgeous than he'd imagined. "How do you wear this all day anyway?" she inquired, squirming in the fabric. "I feel like I should be displayed in a museum or something."  
  
Her discomfort was so completely Chloe that he laughed. You really don't deserve her. She's so down-to-earth, so witty, so sure of herself, but in a way that doesn't make her snobby... "I love you, Chloe," he said suddenly, catching himself off-guard. It wasn't as though he hadn't already told her that, but it was still a foreign phrase to him.  
  
She blinked her big, blue eyes, gazing at him tenderly. "I love you, too, Lex." Their dinner momentarily forgotten, they shared an intense, wonderful kiss. She leaned her cheek against his bare chest when it was over, sighing. "That was worth waiting for all afternoon."  
  
The moment was completely perfect. In typical Luthor fashion, Lex went on to ruin it, though he hadn't intended to. "Chloe," he whispered before he'd really thought about what he was going to say. "There's something you need to know."  
  
She frowned up at him, and he hated himself for wrecking their happiness. "What is it?" Her eyes betrayed the fear she tried to stifle.  
  
"Clark's in love with you." He swallowed hard, bracing himself for her reaction.  
  
Her eyes grew wide in shock. "What? Me? Clark's in love with me?" Shaking her head, she broke from his grasp. Lex was certain their relationship was over, all thanks to his big mouth. "I think all that brie cheese has gone to your head; Clark can't be in love with me. He's been pining over Miss Thang since we were zygotes."  
  
He took a step toward her, but then stepped back. She obviously didn't want to be touched right then. "Apparently that's not entirely the truth. Look, I'm sorry to tell you, but I wanted you to know in case you decide to leave me for him." His tone became forlorn, his eyes sad. "I won't fault you if you do; you deserve so much more than me." He motioned to himself. "I can't be what you need me to be; I'll try as best I can, but you need someone that doesn't shy away from his emotions whenever he feels threatened; someone who can treat you like you deserve to be treated; someone like-" Her lips were on his, cutting him off with a fierce kiss.  
  
As he struggled to catch his breath, she held his shoulders. The firmness of her tone surprised him. "Don't you ever, ever imply that you don't deserve me ever again. I wouldn't be standing here, wearing your disgustingly silky shirt, if I felt you weren't good enough for me. I love you, and I want to be with you." She held his gaze with her own. "Do you understand me?"  
  
Lex thought he would faint from sheer joy and relief. "Completely. I'm sorry for bringing it up." He stared at his shiny leather shoes, annoyed at himself. She lifted his chin with her forefinger, kissing his lips quickly.  
  
"Don't be sorry; I think we needed to have this conversation, as trite as it is."  
  
He held her, his eyes closed, enjoying having her in his arms. "Do you have any idea how lucky I feel to have you?"  
  
She smacked his bare bicep. "Stop it. You're no luckier than I am, so be quiet." Her eyes twinkled as she kissed the tip of his nose. "We have to finish our pizza."  
  
Groaning, he let her go. "Oh, all right. Promise me we can cuddle after dinner."  
  
She moved back to the counter and began kneading the dough that would become crust. "I don't like to cuddle much, to tell you the truth, but I'll make an exception for you."  
  
The blissful couple worked in the kitchen for another half hour before sticking the pizza--made with a second can of sauce--in the oven. They spent twenty minutes in each other's arms before their food was finished cooking.  
  
After cuddling on the couch for most of the evening, Lex reluctantly left the Sullivan's. He walked to the Manor, whistling, completely unaware that a shadowy figure had been spying through the kitchen window the entire time Lex had been with Chloe.  
  
The shadowy figure headed back to his own home, head hung in defeat.  
  
* *  
  
Till the storms fill my eyes  
  
And we touch the last time  
  
I will love you, love you  
  
I will love you, love you  
  
I will love you, love you 


	3. All My Hope is Gone

Rating: PG-13  
  
Couple(s): Lex/Chloe; C/C  
  
Spoilers for: Nothing  
  
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me. The lyrics are from 'How Soon is Now?' by the Smiths.  
  
A/N: I know they all seem a little out of character, and I apologize; I can't recall ever seeing Lex be genuinely kind to someone. I hope someone picks up on the cross-dressing inside joke...  
  
* *  
  
All My Hope is Gone  
  
* *  
  
I am the son  
  
I am the heir  
  
Of a shyness that  
  
Is criminally vulgar  
  
  
  
Clark gazed glumly into his mug of lukewarm black coffee. He knew he shouldn't have spied on Lex and Chloe the night before, but he'd needed to see them; needed to remind himself that, as long as the pair was as comfortable together as they obviously were, Clark didn't have an inkling of a chance with Chloe.  
  
It's just as well, he thought sadly, turning his gaze out the window, she'd never want to go out with me, even if she wasn't madly in love with Lex. Someone outside caught his attention, and he gasped. Chloe was heading for the Beanery--wearing her typical jeans, t-shirt, and flannel--laughing. His throat tightened as he noticed how beautiful she was.  
  
Who's that with her? he asked himself, squinting. She was walking with a tall woman who was wearing a dress and--he nearly spit out a mouthful of coffee when the person came into focus. Lex?  
  
The bell above the door alerted him to their presence, and he craned his neck to see if they were coming toward his table. Sure enough, Chloe bounced over and plopped across from him in the booth. Her bright blue eyes twinkled. "Hi, Clark."  
  
He was too busy staring at his other best friend to answer. Lex, scowling at his girlfriend, was clad in a tight, long-sleeved black dress that came to just above his knee. On his feet, he wore his typical leather dress shoes and--are those tights ? "Um, Lex, why are you-"  
  
Lex slid next to Clark, trying to glower at Chloe, but failing miserably. He actually started to grin. "She dared me to walk all the way here in this- " he motioned to his ensemble, "-and if I didn't, she'd, well, get revenge."  
  
Clark didn't bother asking what specifically Chloe would have done had Lex not cooperated with her latest scheme; he wasn't sure he wanted to know. "You're a very bizarre individual, Chloe. You know that, right?" he teased, shooting her a smile.  
  
She shrugged, smiling back. "Thank you for noticing."  
  
The trio chatted for another twenty minutes, though Clark let them carry most of the conversation; he was too busy thinking about how Lex had changed since being with Chloe. I don't think I've ever seen him smile sincerely before. I know I've never heard him laugh like that. I guess Chloe has that effect on people, he mused, attempting to follow the line of conversation.  
  
Chloe was gesticulating, her entire face glowing with happiness. Lex was laughing, his eyes shining. After a moment, he grabbed her hand, kissed it. She blushed, her eyes darting toward Clark, then settling on Lex's face. They're really, really happy. There's no way I can tell her that I love her now. Clark gave up trying to pay attention to whatever Chloe was saying; he was distracted by how content his two best friends were. They'd started whispering to each other, lost in their own intimate world. It made him happy that they were happy, but he couldn't help and be a bit wistful that Chloe wasn't happy with him.  
  
"Clark, I have to get back to the plant. I'll see you later," Lex said then, breaking into the boy's rapid thoughts.  
  
Forcing himself to smile, Clark nodded. "Okay. Nice of you to drop by." He waited until Lex was halfway to the door before shifting around and shouting, "Nice legs, by the way."  
  
Lex turned and made a face before leaving the coffee shop.  
  
Clark faced his best friend again, trying to stifle the urge to just grab her and kiss her. "I'm impressed you got him to do that," he remarked.  
  
She laughed, tucking a strand of wavy blonde hair behind her ear. "I didn't think he would, but I guess even Lex can defy expectations. So, how are you, Kent?"  
  
His shoulders rose and fell in either a sigh or a shrug; she couldn't tell which. "As good as I can be, I guess."  
  
Her hand covered his, sending Clark into a frenzy of conflicted emotions. "What's up?" She always wanted to cheer him up, but she'd never looked at him with such concern in her eyes. He decided that Lex wasn't the only one changed by his relationship with Chloe.  
  
I love you. "I don't know. I guess I'm just lonely." He visibly sighed. "You're with Lex, Lana's back with Whitney, Pete's with his Flavor-of-the- Week--I feel like I'm the only person in the world without someone special, you know?"  
  
He didn't stop to ponder why she suddenly looked so guilty. "I'm sorry. Isn't there--I don't know--some other brainless cheerleader you can ask out?" Her hatred of Lana Lang--the old love of Clark's life--was still so obvious, though she'd never explained why she hated Lana so much. "You're a hot guy, Clark," she continued, her voice faltering on 'hot'. "I'm sure there are droves of girls that would go out with you in a second."  
  
It occurred to Clark to blurt out that she was the only girl he wanted to date, but he held his tongue. "I guess so."  
  
The familiar gleam in her eyes told him she was planning something. "I'll set you up!"  
  
Groaning inwardly, he withdrew his hand from her grasp. "That's okay, Chloe. I'm not sure I trust you to set me up with someone who isn't a bimbo," he admitted, knowing that she'd pick the shallowest girl she could find, just because that was the way her mind worked.  
  
She pretended to be hurt. "Give me a little credit!" After a moment, she stood up. "I've got to run, Clark; I have a story to finish for this week's Torch." To his surprise and delight, she bent down and kissed his cheek. "Cheer up. Maybe Pete and I will come over and bother you tonight."  
  
Frowning, he focused his blue eyes on hers. "No Lex?"  
  
"I didn't think you'd want to see him. Call you tonight," she promised, before she too left the Beanery, leaving Clark alone to mope once again.  
  
* *  
  
You could meet somebody  
  
Who really loves you  
  
...and you go home  
  
And you cry, and you  
  
Want to die  
  
* *  
  
Clark found Chloe perched on her porch swing, moving it back and forth with her foot while she scribbled something in a notebook. He grinned at the sight of her; her blonde hair was disheveled--it was a windy evening--her cheeks were rosy from the cold, and the tip of tongue protruded from her mouth.  
  
"If it isn't the intrepid reporter. What is it this time? Sap-sucking soccer players?" he teased, starting up the steps to the Sullivan's porch.  
  
She looked up and made a face. "You never stop mocking me, do you?"  
  
Plopping next to her, he attempted to read what she'd written. "You keep a journal?" He couldn't contain his surprise; she seemed like the last person to do something that so many other teenage girls were prone to doing.  
  
She set the notebook aside, wrinkling her nose at him. "Me, do something as clichÃ©d as that?" That's my Chloe, he thought, suppressing a smile. "I'm attempting to rationalize Lex's and my relationship." At his blank expression, she continued. "It's all moving so fast and it seems too perfect to be real. I'm trying to  
  
figure out if there's anyway he might have an ulterior motive, or if it's Wall of Weird material, or--" She shrugged, resting her head on Clark's shoulder.  
  
As if by reflex he slid his arm around her. "You care about him, don't you?"  
  
His best friend nodded rapidly, which was difficult to accomplish while leaning against him. "More than I ever thought I could, but we've only known each other--really known each other--since New Year's Eve; suddenly we're in love--it seems strange." She buried her face in Clark's flannel shirt. "Sometimes I wonder if Lex and I are simply reacting to the meteor rocks. Maybe we've turned into mutants that-"  
  
Before he really thought about what he was doing, Clark kissed her hair, causing her to stop talking mid-sentence. "You just can't accept that you have feelings for Lex, can you?"  
  
She looked up at him, her eyes overflowing with sadness and confusion. "No, I can't. I mean, my father has worked for LuthorCorp since we moved here, but I was never that fond of Lex. Then, after talking to him for most of an evening, I kissed him. Multiple times!" Ignoring his bewildered expression, she went on. "He sent me flowers, I went to visit him, told him that I love him--he's Lex, Clark! He used to sleep with a different woman every weekend. Am I insane to think he'll change for me, of all people? Do I truly love him, or did I get carried away in the heat of the moment?"  
  
The boy held her tighter when he noticed that she'd begun to shiver. "Chloe, I've seen the way he acts around you, the way you act around him. From the looks of things, he wants to change for you." Why are you trying to convince her that her relationship is a good thing? If you love her so much, shouldn't you attempt to get her away from him? Clark shut off that part of his brain, reminding himself that if she was happy, he was happy.  
  
"I'm such a mess. I used to be unflappable; then I let myself get involved with him, and I'm suddenly like every other shallow, overly-hormonal, love sick bimbo!" After taking a deep breath, she relaxed in his arms. "I guess I'm afraid that--I don't know. I'm sick of talking about me."  
  
He smiled at her as she moved away from him. "Want to talk about me?"  
  
The familiar grin shakily returned to her face. "Yes, let's. How goes the battle for a certain Miss Lang's affections?"  
  
Clark ducked his head, feigning embarrassment. He didn't want to lie to her- -say he still had feelings for Lana--but he couldn't say that he loved her without adding to her confusion. "She and Whitney are as tight as ever."  
  
Holding up her hand, Chloe frowned, remembering something. "Weren't you two supposedly hot and heavy yesterday?"  
  
Now he really did blush. "I was sort of lying, thinking Pete would leave me alone if I claimed she and I were together. We did kiss a few times at the party, but that was because she was hurting after a fight with Whitney. He hadn't come with her for some reason, and she was bent out of shape."  
  
The old, scandal-seeking Chloe returned. "You let her use you, then? She needed comfort, so you offered yourself, knowing it wouldn't last?" Her eyes glimmered as she thought of ways she could turn the information into a story for the school paper. "Blast, there's no way I can use that!"  
  
A grin flickered across his face. "Poor baby. I'll try to have more scandalous relationships in the future, okay?"  
  
They lapsed into silence for a few moments before Clark grew serious. "Can I tell you something, if you swear not to turn it into a story?"  
  
She scrunched up her face, debating with herself. "Even if it's juicy, I can't use it?"  
  
He shook his head, and she was taken aback by the nervousness he exuded. "My parents and I could be put in danger if anyone else found out about this."  
  
The thought of Clark in peril sobered her. She took his hand snugly in hers, turning from reporter to good friend in a matter of seconds. "Okay. Scout's Honor I won't tell."  
  
The image of Chloe as a Girl Scout--sitting in a circle doing crafts-- caused him to chuckle. Aware she was waiting for him to speak, he plowed forward. Since he knew she was more than familiar with the infamous meteor shower, he didn't beat around the bush. "I came from the meteor shower."  
  
Chloe Sullivan was a sharp girl; it only took her a minute or two to realize what he was saying. "You're an alien." She said it off-handedly, as though she were talking about her weekend. Clark was overwhelmingly grateful that his friend was so open-minded.  
  
"Basically. The Kents found me in the cornfield that day and brought me home with them. They forged adoption papers, gave me a name, a birth date-- everything." He stared into her eyes as he prepared to admit the part that would excite her the most. "I have these abilities because of the meteors. The only things that can harm me are meteor rock fragments. They make me weak and powerless."  
  
She squeezed his hand while she wrapped her mind around the information. He braced himself for a barrage of questions, but she surprised him; she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "Oh, Clark. I always knew there was something!"  
  
He hugged her back and they rocked for a while. "I'm so glad you don't think I'm bizarre," he whispered, his voice catching. All I've ever wanted is to tell her, to hold her, to be with her, he thought, feeling the lump build up in his throat. She was so soft, so comforting.  
  
"I think it's cool, actually, Clark. You know that I'd never exploit you, right?" Her gaze was firm. "I might have a certifiable obsession with the meteor shower and its weird effects, but I'd never, ever use you. I care about you more than I can say. You're an amazing guy." She touched her forehead to his, smiling softly.  
  
Clark bit his lip, afraid he'd sob from sheer relief. "Chloe, you must know that I love you..."  
  
She swallowed firmly, gripping his arms. Her voice had lowered to a trembling whisper. "You're everything I always thought I needed, Clark. I love Lex intensely, but you're so much different from him. You're-" Saying nothing more, she bent her lips to his, not hearing the audible sigh that he emitted as they kissed.  
  
"Oh, Chloe, why didn't you tell me?" a voice whispered sadly, startling the couple on the porch.  
  
Her eyes flew open as she shoved herself away from Clark. "Lex! How long have you-what are you-I'm so sorry!"  
  
Clark could only stare dumbly as the girl he loved rushed down the steps, chasing after the man she claimed to love. "It wasn't what it looked like," she insisted. "Well, it was, but I don't want to leave you for him. I love you, Lex!"  
  
Lex, his head bent, muttered something Clark couldn't make out. As he started for his Porsche, Clark zipped to him. "Lex, it was my fault. I'll go." He expected Lex to be vengeful, but he merely looked forlorn.  
  
A slight nod was the only reaction Clark got before he raced away, knowing that if Chloe and Lex broke up, he would be to blame.  
  
* *  
  
You shut your mouth  
  
How can you say I  
  
Go about things  
  
The wrong way?  
  
* *  
  
He dreaded that week's produce delivery. He almost asked his father to go instead, but then Clark would have had to explain why he couldn't face Lex. He didn't think Jonathan would be too happy about the idea of Lex dating a barely legal high school student.  
  
Lex was working in his downstairs office when Clark was let inside the Manor. He swallowed, unsure of what to say. "That's it for this week," he managed to choke out.  
  
The man looked up from a stack of papers, nodded. "Okay. We need to talk."  
  
Fearing the worst, Clark felt himself sink into a chair. Lex picked up a glass tumbler that contained half an inch of some unidentifiable amber alcohol. He tipped it back before leaning against his desk, arms crossed over his purple silk shirt. "Chloe told me what happened, and I'm not angry at you. Not at all. I told her that if she would rather be with you, she had my blessing." He paused, drawing in a deep, shaky breath. Clark knew he'd never seen a Luthor cry, and was certain he was about to.  
  
"She loves you, Lex," he stated flatly, still hating himself for causing his best friends such grief.  
  
Stoic Lex replaced Emotional Lex. "You heard what she said. You're everything she's ever needed. What am I except some enigmatic curiosity? Go to her, Clark. She deserves someone as wonderful as you." Without saying goodbye, Lex turned back to his paperwork.  
  
Clark knew there would be no more discussion about Chloe. If Lex Luthor did one thing like his father, he never, ever talked about a subject after it was closed. "I'm really, really sorry."  
  
If he had glanced over his shoulder before exiting the room, he would have seen Lex lean his forehead against the window in an expression of sadness.  
  
* *  
  
You see, I've already  
  
Waited too long  
  
And all my hope is gone  
  
* *  
  
Returning from Luthor Manor, Clark was physically and emotionally beat. He retreated to the Fortress of Solitude, wanting to gaze at the stars in attempt to clear his head. His plans changed when he entered the loft to find Chloe curled up on the dilapidated, old couch. From the looks of things, she'd been crying.  
  
In an instant, he was by her side, holding her.  
  
"Did he say anything about me?" she whispered, sniffling, knowing full well where Clark been minutes before.  
  
Clark rested his chin on the top of her head, unsure if he should tell her the truth. His conscience won out. "Yeah. He said that you deserved better than him."  
  
Her head shot up, jarring his jaw. He barely avoided biting his tongue. "He didn't!" She grabbed his shoulders. "I have to go to him." Instead of moving, she simply stared at her best friend. "Don't blame yourself for what happened. I was confused about what I wanted, I was happy that you trusted me enough to tell me the truth about yourself..I acted without thinking."  
  
He averted his gaze to the floor. "So you're going to stay with him."  
  
Chloe nodded slowly. "I have to, Clark. I may not have liked his before, but I honestly love him now. He's a normal person underneath that Lionel- induced wall that he puts up whenever anyone tries to get close." Her eyes lit up, sending Clark's heart plummeting to the ground. "He was willing to let me in, willing to open up to me. I love him even more for letting me get to know him."  
  
Though it tortured him to do so, Clark hugged her. "I love you, Chloe. And I wish you the best of luck. Really." He bit his lip, determined to not cry.  
  
She kissed his cheek, grinning. "I love you too, Farm boy. If Lex and I ever have some big, nasty, irreversible fight, I'll be sure to run to you for comfort."  
  
Clark found himself chuckling. "There's little chance of that."  
  
She wasn't sure what he was referring to--the thought of Lex and Chloe fighting, or the thought of her running to Clark for comfort--but she was too preoccupied to ask for clarification; she had a relationship to save. 


	4. Joining You

Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it  
  
Couple(s): Lex/Chloe; Pete/Lana; Clark/Lois(deal with it!)  
  
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me.  
  
Author's Notes: I'm aware that Lex's sister, Lena, was never mentioned on the show--only in the comic book.  
  
I decided to leave that bit in here anyway. This section, though told from Lex's first-person POV, directly follows the only three. It takes place eight years after everything else.  
  
* *  
  
Everytime I watch the John Hughes film, 'The Breakfast Club', the same question pops into my head at the end: what happens on Monday? The five students leave Saturday detention closer than they were when they entered, and that's the last we see of them.  
  
Eight years ago, after Chloe and I got back together following a stupid misunderstanding that threatened our relationship, I found myself thinking the same thing: what happens next? I got the girl, the screen faded to black, and all the patrons left the theater happy. What happens after our passionate embrace in the last frame? (I really must stop with the movie metaphors.)  
  
The answer seemed so obvious: we'd stay together until she went off to college, when we'd eventually drift apart. She would graduate, go to work in Metropolis for the Daily Planet, and then she'd probably end up marrying Clark Kent--our mutual best friend who had been madly in love with her for years. I'd mourn my loss for a while, but then I'd revert back to my original bachelorhood--hiring mistresses whenever I got lonely. It wasn't the life I'd wanted for myself, but it was the life of a Luthor. I didn't think I had much choice.  
  
I wasn't looking forward to letting her go, but I knew it was inevitable. After all, I was twenty-one and had big plans: I was intending to take over as president of LuthorCorp when my father passed away, and try to straighten out the little town of Smallville.  
  
We ended up breaking things off when she went away to school, though she attended Kansas State instead of Metropolis U. I asked her why, and she said she didn't want to follow Clark around for the rest of her life. That was the first indication that she and Farm Boy wouldn't ride off into the sunset together.  
  
Lucky for me, my father's ailing health kept him from running the family business any longer. So, while Chloe was busy studying to become the greatest news reporter the world has ever known, I stepped to the forefront of the company.  
  
Fast forward four years; Chloe graduated with honors and a journalism degree, and I was hard at work attempting to make the citizens of Smallville happy. I figured that I owed the town anyway; after all the crap my father put them through, the least I could do was give back a little of our fortune. I turned into Charitable Lex Luthor, and I was content.  
  
Then, Chloe came home. I admit I was shocked when she was led into my office, her hair longer, her wardrobe trendier, her personality still as wonderful as ever; I was assuming that she would have already married Clark, and they'd be living in Metropolis, working for the Planet. Apparently, though, she hadn't seen Clark for years.  
  
We started seeing each other occasionally, our old feelings still prevalent. After a month of casual dating, she announced that she had never stopped caring about me. Surprised as I was, I echoed the sentiment; she remains the only woman with whom I've ever been in love. As I told her that evening, she made me want to change the world for the better, made me want to leave business forever and become something harmless like an accountant.  
  
Needless to say, the latter didn't happen. But, I did marry her exactly two months later. The day we wed, the moment we shared our first kiss as a married couple, my father's body gave out. He peacefully passed away in his sleep. Since then, I've thought that he couldn't handle the way I'd turned out, and my marrying for love--and not business advancement--was the last straw.  
  
Chloe and I were in a state of bliss together. She moved into the Manor and decided to get a job at the Smallville Ledger. I knew she had been planning to work for the Daily Planet since she was old enough to write her name, so I inquired into her change of heart. She said that she didn't want to work with Clark, and she didn't want to be away from me any longer than she had to be. I was touched by both statements--they meant she was entirely over Clark, and she honestly loved me. I nearly broke the Luthor rule against crying and sobbed from happiness right then.  
  
Lena came into our lives a little over a year after we married. She hadn't been planned, but we loved her all the same. It had been Chloe's idea to name her for my late sister, though I was greatly in favor of that decision.  
  
Following her birth, I tried to convince Chloe to stay home; my father had left me the entire fortune--we were even richer than I thought we'd end up being, so she didn't have to work unless she really wanted to. That's not to say I'm fond of old-fashioned gender roles--they bother me much more than they did once, to be honest--I just didn't want our daughter ending up like me: abused and abandoned, shipped to boarding school, forced into business--I vowed that the Luthor cycle of child abuse would end with me.  
  
Chloe had assured me that even if we both worked, we would still be there for Lena. It had been her idea yet again to hire Martha Kent to watch Lena during the day. Clark's widowed mother--rest in peace, Jonathan--had been more than happy to play nanny for us, since she said she still had to mother someone. She even got me to let-off most of our kitchen staff, and began cooking for us as well.  
  
As for Clark himself, he married one of his co-workers at the Planet, a woman named Lois Lane. Lois had no idea that she was married to the man that saved Metropolis from certain doom almost weekly--he'd been dubbed Superman by the press; Chloe, Martha, and myself were the only three remaining people who knew about Clark's powers. He claimed that he would tell Lois eventually, but he didn't want to risk any government officials finding out about him. I'll get back to that in a minute.  
  
Let's see, what happened to Clark and Chloe's old friends? Pete Ross is now VP of LuthorCorp. It was my idea to ask him to work for me, I'm pleased to say. He married Lana Lang--Clark's high school love interest--after apparently nursing a crush of his own for years. Lana doesn't work at the moment; she stays home with their children, a fact that doesn't entirely surprise me. She never struck me as the kind of woman who would go out and change the world, like Chloe.  
  
To return to the subject of Clark's super-human abilities--I have to admit that I've developed a certain fascination with him. I promised myself that I wouldn't turn him over to the government, no matter how anxious I was to find out about him; he's a friend, after all, and I don't backstab friends. Still, I have taken it upon myself to study him. I've saved every news- clipping about every feat 'Superman' has performed. Chloe tells me I'm obsessed, but I vehemently deny that accusation. First and foremost, I'm a scientist, so who can blame me for wanting to find out about my alien friend?  
  
I've been theorizing about him for the last eight years, ever since he confessed his Deep, Dark Secret. He came from the meteor shower--was that really twenty years ago?--but other than that, his origins were a mystery to himself and his adoptive parents. I've been running tests on the meteor fragments off-and-on, attempting vainly to determine from whence they came. No such luck so far, I'm afraid. I'm also aware that he's impervious to everything but the rocks; which explains why I didn't kill him when I accidentally ran him over the day we met.  
  
Perhaps my, for lack of a better word, infatuation with him began that day. Perhaps not. All I know is that I always seem to be this close to discovering what causes him to be so different, and then I'll notice a calculation error, or my computer will freeze before I can save whatever theory I happen to be creating.  
  
I was working on one such theory one evening when Chloe returned home. "Hello, Martha," my wife said cheerfully, kissing the woman's cheek and picking up our daughter, before striding into my office.  
  
I stood up to greet her, forgetting to cover up the work I was writing by hand; she gets annoyed when she finds me hypothesizing about Clark, since she thinks what I do is one step away from dissecting him. She's probably right, but that doesn't stop me.  
  
"Hey, sweetie," I whispered, drawing her nearer for a long kiss.  
  
Lena squealed happily, causing me to turn my attention to her. "Hi to you too, darling," I cooed, picking her up and swinging her over my head. If anyone had told me I'd become a father and enjoy it, I would've--well, I wouldn't have believed them. Now I can't remember what life had been like before Lena and Chloe changed everything.  
  
Chloe walked to my desk and began rifling through my papers--always on the hunt for a story--reminding me that I haven't changed entirely. Her bright blue eyes hardened when she saw the sheet I'd been working on. "Lex," she began sternly, "we discussed this."  
  
With a sigh, I rested my daughter against my hip and plucked the paper from my wife's fingers. I rested a hand against her cheek, smiling. "Sweetheart, I have to do something to keep myself busy. Besides, you're curious about Clark too, aren't you?"  
  
She shrugged, dropping onto my leather desk chair which she'd once called pretentious. I noticed how tired she looked, though her eyes were bright. "I don't know. Sometimes I worry about you." Her voice was pleading as she continued. "You're going to drive yourself crazy eventually, what with all these theories and tests. I may be a reporter--and a fine one, if I say so myself--but I feel sleazy writing about Clark, as though he's some sort of strange curiosity. We knew him before, honey; we know him now."  
  
I said nothing for a while, just watched her, wondering how I managed to get so lucky after all the stunts I pulled when I was younger. After a beat, I crumpled up my latest page of research and tossed it in my garbage can. "You're right. I should stop."  
  
Her face softened, and she appeared to be stifling a squeal. "I have something to tell you."  
  
I grinned in anticipation. The last time she'd looked that excited was when she'd found out that--it dawned on me. "You're not!" I exclaimed.  
  
Chloe broke into a grin, nodding. "I am."  
  
I glanced from her, to Lena, and back again. I then lifted Lena so she was eye-level with me. "You're going to have a sibling, Lena-dear. Isn't that wonderful?" I kissed her cheek and she giggled, a toothless smile forming on her adorable, little face.  
  
After I set her on the floor, I picked my wife up in a tight hug, lifting her off the ground. "I love you, Chloe," I whispered, gazing into her eyes.  
  
She nestled against my chest, keeping an eye on our intrepid daughter who was sitting on the floor, staring at us. "I love you always, Lex." She kissed me quickly, just as Martha stuck her head in the room.  
  
"Sorry to interrupt, but dinner's ready," she announced, her eyes twinkling. She obviously knew.  
  
Chloe smiled, disentangling herself from my embrace. "Okay, thanks, Martha. You're welcome to stay."  
  
The older woman shrugged. "I might, as long as Lex doesn't object."  
  
I faced her, the grin still on my lips. "Martha, we've been over this: you can stay anytime, for as long as you want." We'd offered her a room at the beginning, begged her to live with us--we assumed she would get lonely on the farm by herself--but she said she didn't want to impose. She's spent a night or two in a guest suite we'd set up just for her, but she's refused to stay permanently.  
  
Clark's mother nodded, then left without another word.  
  
Chloe's hand entwined with mine, and she picked up Lena with her free arm. "Ready to eat?"  
  
"Yeah," I replied, freeing myself from her grasp. "You go on ahead; I'll be there in two minutes."  
  
Though she appeared confused, she simply nodded and left, whispering nonsense to our daughter as she walked toward the dining room.  
  
I waited another moment before shutting the office door softly behind her. Darting back toward my desk, I yanked the wad of paper from the trash and smoothed it out on my desktop. 


	5. Perfect Memory

Couple(s): Chloe/Lex  
  
Rating: PG-13 for mild language and angst  
  
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me. The title comes from the Remy Zero song of the same name  
  
Spoilers for: the other four parts of this series  
  
Author's Note: I don't know why I wrote this; the Luthors were happy and then I had to-well, I can't give anything away. I don't know if the Luthors really have a private investigator, but I invented one for this story. For the record, Kyle is in no way related to Kyle Tippett; I just really enjoy that name.  
  
Perfect Memory  
  
Chloe rolled over in the giant bed she and her husband shared, not extremely surprised when she discovered that his side was empty; he'd been staying up until dawn for months, working on some 'secret project'. Though she had her suspicions regarding the specifics of said project, she said nothing to Lex about it.  
  
"'s four o'clock; I have to be at work in an hour and a half. Might as well get up," she mumbled, wrapping her red silk robe around her slender frame and padding across the tan carpet toward their private bathroom.  
  
Standing under the stream of hot water for ten minutes, she allowed the shower to loosen her stiff neck muscles. Bending over a computer all day, writing stories for the Smallville Ledger, was proving to be bad for her back.  
  
When she was clean--and dressed in loose black pants and a red button-down shirt that covered her pregnant stomach--she glided down the imposing staircase that led to Lex's equally imposing first floor office.  
  
Peeking around the doorframe, Chloe noticed that his stocking feet were propped on his spotless desktop, meaning that he was sound asleep. Their ten-month old daughter, Lena, slept in her playpen, which stood next to his desk. Evidently he'd heard her crying and brought her downstairs with him so his wife could sleep. He'd done it before, but his concern for her still made Chloe's heart melt.  
  
"Hey, what time is it?" he whispered, waking as she crept inside as quietly as she could.  
  
"It's about four-thirty," she returned, perching on his welcoming lap and sighing. "Were you down here all this time?"  
  
Her statement reminded him that he had been working; he smoothly snatched a handful of papers, stuffed them in a folder, and dropped the folder into a deep drawer. "No. Lena woke me up around one so I decided to get some stuff done." His bright blue eyes softened. "I'm sorry."  
  
Though she feigned disinterest by shrugging, he knew she was upset; she just didn't like to say so. "Don't worry about it, Lex. I can't hear you mumble in your sleep when you're here, anyway," she teased, her own shining blue eyes sparkling when she grinned.  
  
He tickled her ribs mercilessly, well aware that she was most ticklish there. "I do not talk in my sleep!" he insisted, grinning himself.  
  
"I didn't-" she burst into a fresh set of giggles and slapped his hand away- "-say that you talk; I said you mumble. There's a difference, honey."  
  
He relented and moved his hands so they were holding hers. "My wife, the Journalism and English major." Rolling his eyes in mock annoyance, he laughed. "I love you, Clo," he whispered, staring into her eyes.  
  
Chloe let his gaze warm her entirely before responding. "I love you, Lex." Husband and wife kissed then shared a look that made them feel like newlyweds, despite their having been married for nearly three years.  
  
"I love you more than anyone or anything," Lex added seriously. There was an intensity in his  
  
tone and eyes that she hadn't witnessed for months. Something felt slightly off, but she assured herself that she was simply being paranoid.  
  
Lena squealed to be picked up, breaking her parents' moment. "Except for you, Miss," Lex announced cheerfully, lifting up his daughter and planting a kiss on her forehead. "I love you about that much."  
  
The sight of her two favorite people made Chloe eternally grateful that she'd been able to marry Lex. For one thing, she couldn't imagine life without him. For another, she adored their daughter more than she could say. "There's my girl," she said happily, taking the squirming bundle from Lex's arms. "Let's get you some breakfast, hmm?"  
  
Lex smiled as he watched his two favorite women traipse toward the kitchen, still not sure why he'd been so lucky.  
  
* *  
  
"Martha is here, sir," their housekeeper announced about fifteen minutes after Chloe had left for work.  
  
Grinning, Lex stood up and marched into the foyer, Lena in his arms. Martha Kent--Clark's mother and recent widow--handed her light jacket to the doorman, then broke into a bright smile. "Lex," she said affectionately, greeting him with a warm hug.  
  
"Hi, Martha. How's the crop doing?"  
  
She rolled her eyes and exasperatedly blew a stream of air through her lips. "Ask me that in another month. I'm just glad that I could hire some local boys to help me; I don't know how Jonathan managed to run the whole farm by himself."  
  
"He had Clark."  
  
Shrugging, she nodded. Lex suddenly realized that her son was a subject of sadness for her. Of course he knew why: Clark was, in fact, Superman. "I believe this is yours for the next few hours," he exclaimed teasingly, passing Lena over after kissing her cheek.  
  
"Hi, sweetie," Martha cooed, causing the girl to giggle.  
  
"Daddy has to get some work done, but he'll have lunch with you, okay?" he told his daughter, aware that he had reverted to 'baby talk'. "I love you." To Martha he added, "thanks again. We really appreciate it."  
  
The woman patted his cheek. "No problem; I need to do something all day. See you in a while."  
  
He nodded, told her to have fun, then retreated back to the recesses of his office. "Let's see.." He opened his laptop and tapped a few keys, calling up a file of research.  
  
"So if the meteor fragments caused Clark to react that way, then they must..." He mumbled to himself as he cross-referenced the typed document with several pages of hand-written notes.  
  
When his cellphone rand shrilly a few seconds later, he jumped in surprise. It took him several seconds to locate the device--it had, apparently, been knocked on the floor--so, when he answered finally, he was out of breath from a rapid search. "Hello?"  
  
"Lex Luthor?" a gravelly voice asked.  
  
"Yes..."  
  
He almost asked who the caller was, but he knew better than that. "Are you investigating Superman?"  
  
That seemed to be an odd way of describing what it was Lex was doing, but he responded in the affirmative. "What do you want?"  
  
"Your findings."  
  
"No," he said emphatically.  
  
The chuckle sounded devilish. "Oh, really? Then kiss your wife and daughter one last time, because you might never see them again." The call was ended before he could even react.  
  
* *  
  
Lex had only been truly frightened a few times in his life. The first time was when his mother passed away due to complications with heart disease. The second time was when he thought Chloe, the only woman he'd ever loved, was ending their relationship all those years ago. The third time was when she went into labor. When he set down his phone, he added a fourth tally to his mental list.  
  
He was shaking so badly that he didn't trust himself to stand. Instead, he banged his forehead against his desk, trying to make sense of the call. He wanted feverently to believe that the caller was simply some twisted psychopath who had a bizarre Superman obsession.  
  
"That's not logical, Lex. They wouldn't threaten Chloe and Lena if they weren't serious. Or maybe they would. Damnit, what do I do?" He felt helpless; the sensation drove him crazy.  
  
"I'm calling Chloe," he said to the framed photo of her and himself on their wedding day. They were grinning, arms around eachother. He pressed the first 'speed dial' button--which was connected to her office--trying vainly to focus. "Hi, may I speak to Chloe Sullivan, please?" She had decided to keep using her maiden name at work, since she had been so well- known before their marriage.  
  
"Just a minute." Musak began to blare in his ear, and he grinded his teeth together in annoyance.  
  
It seemed to take hours, but someone finally picked up the phone. "Chloe Sullivan."  
  
Any other time her concise, professional greeting would have made him grin. That day, he was too preoccupied. "Hi, honey." He tried to keep the nervousness out of his voice, but she picked up on it nevertheless.  
  
"Lex," she greeted him, sounding a touch surprised. "What's up? Is everything okay?"  
  
They had a completely honest relationship; they told each other absolutely everything. Still, he wasn't sure how much truth she could take. "Maybe. I got a threatening phone call today." Somehow, she knew exactly to what he was referring.  
  
Her ashamed sigh traveled over the wires, making him feel guilty. She hated that he felt the need to hypothesize about Clark; she felt it was degrading and unfair. He'd said, before, that he would stop, but, of course, he couldn't. "I told you you would get yourself in trouble one of these days."  
  
His ears and head burned with embarrassment. He loathed making her sad. "I'm sorry, Chloe," he whispered, and meant it.  
  
"Well, maybe 'sorry' isn't good enough, Lex." Her voice was thick was anger. "I'm disappointed in you, to be honest; it's more than the simple fact that you're treating Clark like an experiment. You lied to me. I can not believe that--"  
  
He cut her off. "Look, can we argue later? The important thing is that you and Lena might be in immediate danger. Can you come home?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Clo?"  
  
Papers rustled and her chair squeaked. "I'm on my way."  
  
"Great. I love you."  
  
The responding 'click' told him that she'd hung up.  
  
* *  
  
Martha studied him, her forehead creased with worry. The spoon with which she was feeding Lena--Lex was too bent out of shape to do anything at that moment--hung, motionlessly, in the air. "I'm shocked."  
  
Nodding, Lex buried his face in his hands. "Not only did I let down the woman I love, but I put her and our daughter in danger! I'm so sorry, Martha. If anything happens to Clark because of this, you can sue me or go to the police--"  
  
Never before had she seen him so distraught. Her free hand stroked his back through the silky, black button down shirt he wore over khakis. "Lex, I trust you. Clark trusts you. Don't worry."  
  
He met her kind smile with a forced one of his own, but then went back to frowning. "Chloe's never going to forgive me."  
  
Clark's mother continued feeding strained carrots to Lex's daughter, talking to him over her shoulder. "Believe me, she will. You and I know as well as anyone that Chloe's always been dramatic; she just needs to think about this a little more." A pause as she encouraged the girl to eat more. "I'm not saying that I condone what you're doing--"  
  
Wincing, he felt his ears grow pink with embarrassment. "I'm sorry."  
  
"--but I understand. Clark might be a little peeved, but he's basically accepted that you're curious about him. In other words: don't worry. Everything will work out in the end."  
  
Talking with Martha never failed to make him feel better, and that time was no exception. "Okay. Thank you for listening."  
  
She squeezed his hand quickly and smiled. "Anytime."  
  
The front door slammed and someone rushed toward the bright dining room. When Lex saw the worry on his wife's face, he lept up from the table and embraced her. Martha watched as the pair whispered together, overhearing the words, 'call', 'threat', 'research', 'fear'. She politely turned back to her charge, not wanting to eavesdrop completely.  
  
Chloe pulled out the chair next to Martha's and sank onto its cushion. "Hi, Martha." Her usually glowing face was tired.  
  
"Hi, Chloe. It's good to see you again. Your due date's getting close, right?"  
  
Glancing down at her stomach, the reporter smiled slightly. "Yeah. Sometime in the next two months, thankfully. I don't understand how some women can actually enjoy giving birth multiple times." She rolled her eyes.  
  
Lex rested his hands on her shoulders, grinning down at her. "You were the one who wanted another baby."  
  
Crossing her eyes at her husband, she stuck out her tongue, causing Martha to be reminded of what Chloe was like in her youth. "Next time I say something so obviously insane, tell me shut up."  
  
He winked and leaned over to kiss her. Martha assumed that their little argument was finished.  
  
"So, Martha, you can leave now, if you want," Chloe said brightly, when she playfully pushed her husband away. "But you're always welcome to stay for dinner."  
  
The older woman pondered her choices for a second before smiling at the couple. "I could use the company, if you're sure that's all right."  
  
"Martha," Lex replied with a dramatic sigh, "we've been over this..." He trailed off with a warm smile.  
  
She laughed. "I know, I just don't want to--" She cut herself off when he held up a silencing hand. "You guys are so good to me."  
  
Chloe stood and threw her arms around Martha's shoulders in a backwards hug. "After the way you took care of us when Clark and I were younger, it's only what you deserve."  
  
"Tell you what--" Martha stood and kissed Lena's head before handing her to Chloe. "I'll go get something cooking." She rubbed her palms together and grinned. "It's so great to be needed again." She scurried in the direction of the kitchen, leaving Chloe and Lex to smile at her enthusiasm.  
  
The pair was quiet for several minutes; Chloe played with their daughter, and Lex found himself studying her. "I understand that you're angry," he began.  
  
She tilted her head back so she could see him while they talked. "Didn't we just make up?"  
  
Licking his lips, he perched on the seat next to hers. "Yes, but if we don't discuss what happened..." He held out his hand so Lena could grab his finger.  
  
"Sweetheart, like Martha said, I'll forgive you. I'm just...sad."  
  
He sighed. "I know. I was a pompous jacka--" He censored himself when he noticed that their daughter was gaping at him. "-jerk for not thinking about the reprecussions of my investigation." After a second's thought, he added, "how do you know what Martha said to me?"  
  
She raised her eyebrows and smirked. "The first rule of investigative reporting: eavesdrop whenever possible."  
  
Her husband laughed. "You're incorrigible."  
  
"One of the myriad things you absolutely adore about me, right?" She batted her eyelashes playfully.  
  
He pretended to mull it over. "Well, all right."  
  
Her face suddenly grew serious. "So, what are we going to do about this psychopath?"  
  
Frowning, he crossed his arms. "'We'?"  
  
Her eyes flashed with defiance as she rested Lena's head against her shoulder. "Alexander Joseph Luthor: if you think I'm just going to sit on my butt while you figure out who's behind this, then you don't know me as well as you think you do."  
  
He had to stifle a laugh; he decided that she was the greatest person to ever exist in the history of the universe. "Believe me, Clo, I know you want to do this more than anything; that's why I almost didn't tell you about the call. I just don't want you to put yourself in danger. I would never forgive myself if that as-" He glanced at his daughter. "-that pig were to hurt you." His hand flew to her cheek.  
  
"Lex," she said firmly, resting her hand on his. "I wouldn't be a reporter if I didn't like living dangerously. Besides, where's the fun in letting my beloved husband be the hero? I love you more than anything, but I want-- "  
  
He moved his hand to her lips, quieting what would become her familiar, 'I am woman, hear me roar', rant. "I should've known better than to say that." He chuckled when she nodded emphatically. "I love you."  
  
"Can I talk now?" she mumbled.  
  
"No." He kissed her for several moments. They broke apart, staring deeply into eachother's eyes. It certainly wasn't the first time that she'd decided that Lex was the most perfectly flawed man on the face of the planet.  
  
"You're beautiful, Lex," she whispered.  
  
Running a hand over his perpetually bald head, he replied. "I know."  
  
She wrinkled her nose. "You just totally ruined my romantic line."  
  
"And I apologize from the bottom of my heart." He winked, making her grin. "Should we consider the 'psycho caller' matter closed for now?"  
  
Martha shouted that dinner was prepared, so Chloe fastened a sleepy Lena back into her high chair, then grabbed her husband's hands and pulled him to his feet. "It's closed entirely. I'm helping you, and that's that."  
  
"Yes'm," he said quickly, following his wife into the kitchen. It still amazed him how Chloe managed to make him change his mind; no one ever had before, as he'd inherited the Luthor's penchant for stubbornnes. She's more stubborn that I am, he mused, while admiring the quick meal Martha had whipped together.  
  
Over baked chicken, flavored mashed potatoes, and corn, the couple didn't say anything more about that morning's incident. Instead, they simply enjoyed each other. Lex decided that there was no way Chloe could ever fathom just how much he loved and worshipped her. Sometimes it still frightened him how quickly and deeply he'd fallen for her.  
  
"Sexy Lexy? You with me?" When he snapped back to reality, he found her waving her fork in front of his face and smirking.  
  
He frowned. "What did you call me?"  
  
"I called you 'Sexy Lexy', darling," she shot back, completely deadpan. Her expression faltered, and she burst out laughing, when he made a face.  
  
"Did you just....make that up?" Lex asked, incredulous.  
  
"Sadly, no. When I was wasting time at the Beanery a few months ago, I heard a bunch of teenage girls talking about you. That's, apparently, their nickname for you. I think it's fitting."  
  
Focusing on his daughter who was watching the exchange with interest from her high chair, he picked up a corn kernel. "Watch, sweetheart; Daddy has perfected the art of food-throwing. Remember this whenever a boy gives you trouble." He flicked the piece of food across the table and smiled smugly when it bounced off his amused wife's nose.  
  
"That was good," she replied, straight-faced, before dipping her fingers in her potatos and flinging them back at him.  
  
"Screw great-grandmother's tablecloth," he announced when her projectile landed in the middle of his freshly-pressed shirt. "This is a battle." His own potatos were next.  
  
If Martha heard the commotion or noticed that the food she'd worked hard to prepare was being thrown around the room, she made no indication.  
  
Ten minutes later, Chloe ducked an ice cube that he'd fished out of his water glass, and hurtled into the kitchen. Not even noticing that Martha was no longer sitting at kitchen counter eating her own dinner--the woman refused to join the Luthors in the dining room--she returned to the dining room with a container of chocolate syrup and a can of whipped cream. She tossed the former to her husband, then noticed that they weren't alone.  
  
"I'll put her to bed," Martha said with a wink, gingerly pulling Lena out of her chair. "I think I might stay the night, if that's okay."  
  
Chloe blushed, then nodded. "Thanks a ton, Martha. Of course you can stay."  
  
She bounced over and gave her daughter a huge hug; she hadn't been spending as much time as she would have liked with her, but Chloe planned to rectify that situation over the weekend. "I love you, pumpkin," she cooed.  
  
Setting his own weapon on the table, Lex gave his daughter a kiss and rubbed his nose against hers. "See you in the morning, cutie-pie." She made a gurgly noise in response, making her parents grin.  
  
"Have fun," Martha said again, softly closing the huge double doors behind her.  
  
Chloe passed the can dramatically between her hands, narrowing her eyes at her husband. "Oh, we will have fun."  
  
"This is one battle you're not going to win," he shot back, aiming the bottle.  
  
"Ha!" She squirted some whipped cream onto her palm and flung it at him. He responded by squeezing chocolate syrup on his finger tips and smearing it on her face.  
  
The 'food fight' went on for another forty-five minutes before they retreated to their ominously large bedroom. After changing into pajamas, the couple laid down in bed and slept next to each other for the first time in months.  
  
* *  
  
The ear-splitting sound of breaking glass came around two-thirty in the morning. Lex bolted awake and raced out of the bedroom. Maybe it was parental instinct, but something made him check his daughter's room before going downstairs.  
  
Glass from the nursery's single, wall-length window lay in a ragged pile on the floor and in the crib. The. Empty. Crib.  
  
"Lena," Lex whispered, his legs frozen from fear. "LENA!" He tried to stay calm, but the grief he suddenly felt was staggering.  
  
Bare feet slapping against the hard wood floors, quieting when they reached the Oriental rugs. Chloe bounded into the room, instantly noticed the broken window, and burst into hysterical tears. "My baby!" she shrieked, banging her fists against her husband's bare chest when he tried to hold her. "Where the HELL did those psychos take my baby?"  
  
Martha was next to the distraught couple in a second, her arms around both of them. She could offer no words of comfort, as they were just that: words. Cold, empty words. And so the three adults could do nothing but stand in the middle of the nursery and hold each other.  
  
"I'll call the police," Lex whispered. He knew that he should have done that immediately, but he hadn't been thinking. As he stepped into the hallway with his cellphone, he berated himself: Those...those bastards could be halfway across the country with our daughter by now. In a flash of clarity, he fully understood his father's rule against crying. Grieving gets you no where.  
  
"Hello, nine-one-one emergency. How can I help you?"  
  
* *  
  
Chloe couldn't stop shivering, despite the grossly-expensive central heating system in the manor. She sank into the tan couch that stood in the Luthors' rarely-used living room. The walls were painted a cheerful yellow with off-white trim, and there were several pieces of cream-colored furniture to match. The brightness annoyed her more than the fact that the color-scheme was the same as the one in the nursery.  
  
Martha wrapped a blanket around the younger woman's shoulders, then sat down. Instantly, Chloe buried her face against Martha's shoulder. "Breathe, Chloe. Breathe."  
  
Somehow, Chloe had been holding her breath since the police had arrived. She couldn't wait to find out if they knew something, anything, to get her baby back. So far, they were simply getting Lex's statement. "My baby," the blonde woman whispered, facing her friend and sighing. "Will they find my baby, Martha?" There were no more tears; only a deep, endless pit in the base of her stomach. The sensation was already spreading throughout her body, and the horrifiying incident had only occurred an hour before.  
  
"I don't know, sweetie," Martha whispered, rubbing Chloe's back in a motherly gesture. She knew that the latter had never had a mother in her life, and, thus, was determined to be emotionally there for her. In tragic times, mothers give comfort as best they can; Martha was going to say and do whatever she could for the woman that she still saw as a bouncy, brash fifteen year old girl.  
  
"..Missus Luthor, Missus Kent? We'll need your statement." a male officer- -whose nametag read, 'Smithee'--said gently, his pen poised over his notepad. He was young, tall, dark, and handsome. Chloe couldn't help but compare him to Clark.  
  
Chloe opened and closed her mouth, but no sounds came out. Thankfully, Smithee appeared sympathetic. He smiled in compassion. "I understand this is hard for you. Take your time and tell me what you can, when you're ready." He even sounded like Clark.  
  
Superman...where are you? "I can't tell you anything! I didn't see anything! My daughter is gone, and that's all I know! What more do you want?" She broke from Martha's calming hug and began to pace across the blue Oriental rug. "Shouldn't you be doing something?" she snapped at the unfazed cop.  
  
Before she could complete a second rotation of the floor, her husband grabbed her shoulders and stared at her firmly. "Chloe!" The edge in his voice made her stop in her tracks. "We need to keep it together. Okay?"  
  
Covering her trembling mouth with her shaking hand in order to stifle a sob, she nodded. She let him kiss her forehead tenderly, before she looked Officer Smithee straight in the eye. "Sir, as my husband said, we were awakened around two-thirty when the nursery window was broken. We investigated immediately, but we neither saw nor heard anything else. I apologize for freaking out."  
  
Lex wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on top of her head. He was proud of her for controlling her outbursts; she always had been, and always would be, extremely vocal and stubborn, where he was disciplined. He'd needed years of practice to keep his temper in check, and he still worked on it. She, however, had only begun to calm down when she worked for the Ledger; he remembered that, at the very beginning of their relationship, she used her snarky, sarcastic opinions as a defense- mechanism. He was pleased to notice that, once they fell in love, she seemed to not need those defenses as frequently.  
  
"That's perfectly understandable, ma'am, given the situation," the officer said gently. He motioned to his partners who, until then, had kept perfectly quiet. "My men will need photos of your little girl to show during tonight's newscast. Are you both absolutely sure that no other strange events have occurred recently?" He seemed to want them to have skeletons in the closet; such is the curse of being a Luthor.  
  
It crossed Lex's mind to mention the phone call, but he knew the police wouldn't do anything about. In fact, he'd only called them in first place for Chloe's benefit; he himself had other ways of dealing with threats against his family. "No, officer, I can't think of anything else."  
  
"Missus Luthor?"  
  
Chloe had, apparently, also recalled the phonecall. She frowned up at her husband, but he imperceptively shook his head. "No, sir."  
  
"Missus Kent?"  
  
Martha, having had given her quick statement when Chloe finished with hers, shook her head from her spot on the couch. "No."  
  
The three gentlemen tipped their hats and accepted several photos of Lena from one of the servants, who had taken it upon herself to look for them without being asked. "Very well, then. We'll show these on the news and canvas the area with them. If you think of anything else," he extended his card- "here's the number of our precinct. Ask for me."  
  
Taking the card, Lex set his jaw. "Thank you, gentlemen."  
  
"Certainly. Good day."  
  
Good friggin day to you, too, Lex thought evilly. Once the trio was in their various squad cars, he tore the little piece of cardboard in half and tossed it on the floor.  
  
"Lex!" Chloe shrieked. "Why did you do that?"  
  
His careful, self-controlled wall was slipping every so slowly. "Clo, you know we have private detectives for things like this," he reminded her quietly, tucking a strand of wave blonde hair behind her ear.  
  
She slapped him across the face, causing Martha to gasp. Lex blinked, his gaping mouth revealing that he was shocked. "I don't believe you, Alexander Joseph Luthor!" Chloe shouted. Any other time, in any other circumstance, her use of his full name would have made him laugh. "We spend who-knows-how-long talking to the three most incompetent men to ever live in Smallville, and you wait until after they leave to remind me that you have a detective on your speed dial? Our daughter is coming closer and closer to her untimely demise, and you call the police when we have a detective? What are you thinking?"  
  
"I did it for you, Clo!" He kept his voice as stable as he could. It wouldn't do to have them both angry. "I thought you'd be less worried if I called the police instead of..." He trailed off when he realized how utterly pathetic his excuse was. After all, he'd never called the police before. As soon as somtehing went wrong, his detective was the first person he called. But that time...  
  
"Lex," she groaned, covering her face with her hands and jerking away from his touch. "Do you care at all that those psychos have our daughter? Or is it too much to ask for you to think about something other than yourself for once?"  
  
She wanted to take the words back as soon as she said them. His eyes flashed, but he stood firm. "Martha," he said softly, "could you excuse us for a second?"  
  
Sensing the looming fight, Martha gladly headed for the stairs. "I'll be in the guest suite if you need anything."  
  
"I'm sorry, Lex. I spoke without thinking," Chloe whispered once they were alone. "I never should have said that to you." She instinctively flinched as he raised his hand, but relaxed when he rested it on her lower back.  
  
The gesture surprised him; he would never, ever even think of touching his wife and daughter in any sort of harmful way. Yet, she seemed to think he would. Even when I pledge my undying love and passion for her, Chloe still subconsciously thinks of me as a 'Luthor' and not 'Lex'. It was a stretch, but he believed it was true. The thought made him sad.  
  
"I should call our detective," he said in his normal speaking voice, trying vainly to pretend that the whole exchange had never happened. "I've been wasting valuable time." He knew he shouldn't have added the last part, but it had occurred to him that he was reacting when he should've been acting.  
  
I just put my daughter in even more danger by being a slave to my temper. How does Chloe live with me? He pressed the second speed dial button on his ever-present cell phone. It rang twice before a deep voice answered.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Relief flooded Lex's tense body at the sound of the man who, he dearly hoped, could bring their joy back. "Kyle. It's Lex Luthor. Our daughter was kidnapped, and we need you to find her."  
  
"That's what I'm here for, Lex. Did you talk to the police?" Kyle was always ready to do whatever was asked of him. Lex admired him for that.  
  
Chloe was back to her nervous pacing, Lex noticed out of the corner of his eye. This time he would do nothing to stop her. "Yes, we just got finished speaking with three officers who were...less than comforting."  
  
"That figures," Kyle rumbled. "I'll be right over. Stay calm."  
  
"See you soon."  
  
* *  
  
Kyle was a tall, reed-thin man with an imposing voice, long black hair that was pulled back in a tight ponytail, and harsh green eyes. When he shook Chloe's hand, his grip was strong. Despite his fierce appearance, Chloe instantly felt safe around him. He exuded an air of trust and support.  
  
She didn't have much to contribute to the conversation; Lex, bless him, was handling everything. The couple had already realized that, by showing their daughter's picture on TV, they could put her in graver peril; it would alert the kidnappers that the police were on to them. Kyle had connections in the police force, and was going to get the entire story pulled from that evening's news.  
  
"We don't want the public to find out that your daughter is missing; you're sure to get 'copycats' who'll pretend to be these people just to get ransom money from you. It's best this way." He glanced at Chloe who was curled up on the sofa, a mug of freshly brewed tea in her hands. "I'll do everything in my power to find Lena. You have my word."  
  
She managed a smile, then stood up again. "I believe you, Kyle. We're prepared to help however we can." Her hand clenched in Lex's, and he bent over to kiss her lips quickly. He didn't stop to wonder about her mood swings.  
  
"We'll start by tapping your cell phone, Lex; without a voice or any other concrete evidence, there's not much else I can do. You're certain to get a ransom call within a day or so." He held out his hand and Lex placed the phone in his palm.  
  
"What should we do if we get a call?" Chloe spoke up.  
  
Kyle answered as he dug through his briefcase and began to work on the phone. "Keep the person talking as long as you can. If they ask you anything at all, be extremely vague with your answers; people like the ones we're dealing with like to bait their victims; get them to say things that they'll throw back at them later. If they ask for money--"  
  
"We'll give them anything!" Lex interjected, his calm facade sliping a bit more.  
  
"Except your research," Chloe countered sarcastically.  
  
"This isn't my fault, Clo," he said firmly, almost as though he was trying to convince himself as well as his wife.  
  
"I didn't say it was," she shot back.  
  
The cell phone was finished, and Lex slipped it back into his pocket. "Is there anything else you can do at this time, Kyle?"  
  
The detective sighed. "I wish there was. You didn't see or hear anyone, you don't have any threatening notes...other than checking out the nursery in the off-chance a note blew away or something, there's nothing to be done until you get another phone call." He saw Lex's breath catch and he added, "you will get another call."  
  
The rest of the evening went by in a haze. Chloe remembered sitting down to dinner with Kyle--who wanted to stay for a few days to watch over things- -Lex, and Martha; she remembered passing by the nursery and wanting to check on Lena; she remembered hugging and kissing her husband; she remembered apologizing for snapping at him; she remembered him saying that he understood and wasn't angry. She remembered him saying that he loved her, and then herself returning the words; she remembered falling asleep wrapped in Lex's embrace.  
  
What she didn't remember was how anything felt.  
  
FINIS--for now 


	6. Darker Side of Blue

Couple(s): Chloe/Lex  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me. Lex owns his sexy self. The title comes from the Tal Bachman song of the same name.  
  
Spoilers for: the other five chapters  
  
Author's Note: This starts right where five left off. I know this part is really, really sappy, but I decided that it needed some pointless schmoop. I know nothing about tapping phonelines or detective work, so if I have some details wrong, kindly don't flame me.  
  
The Darker Side of Blue  
  
Lex didn't sleep. Lex didn't think. Lex didn't feel. That night, he simply stared blankly at the off-white ceiling of his and Chloe's bedroom, his very soul aching. His wife had fallen asleep with her cheek resting on his bare chest, but she had tossed and turned so much that she was in a completely different location an hour after they had turned out the lights. It was a restless night for them both.  
  
It must have been around three o'clock--the time when Lena usually cried for a bottle--when, finally, he threw aside the sheets and headed for the door.  
  
"Lex," Chloe muttered from the bed. He paused, not sure if she was simply talking in her sleep, or if she was actually awake. "You aren't goin' to do work, are you?"  
  
He was running completely on autopilot; he didn't know *what* he was going to do. "No," he assured her in a whisper, "I just can't lie here anymore. Go back to sleep, hon."  
  
Sitting up, she sighed. "Want some company?"  
  
"Yes," he said, and meant it.  
  
"Great." Her voice was devoid of any emotions, an observation that would have alarmed Lex, if he hadn't been feeling the same way.  
  
**Feeling. Right.** He extended his hand, and she grasped it. The couple headed downstairs in their pajamas--she in boxers and a tank top, he in silk pants--and instantly wandered into the living room. He lowered himself onto the couch, and she gingerly sat next to him. His buried his face in her hair, breathed deeply the familiar scent of baby powder, vanilla, and a fragrance that he could only describe as, 'Chloe'. It stirred something in his heart; he didn't know what, but it was something.  
  
Her hands wound around his neck, and she moved her mouth to his. Their kisses were loving and intense. "This feels wrong," he whispered, pulling back for a second.  
  
She licked her lips and gazed at him sadly. "I don't want to sound trite, but I can't just sit here and be miserable."  
  
"Why not?" he asked, though there was no animosity in his question. "All the people I've ever loved have been taken away from me in some way or another: Julian and Mom died; you almost stayed with Clark; now this..." She cut him off by kissing the top of his head softly. He closed his eyes as her lips rested against his ear.  
  
"Don't say that I almost left you for Clark ever again. Do you understand me?" she said softly, her voice suddenly undercut with a sharpness that he hadn't heard for a while.  
  
"You'll excuse me if I'm still a little jealous. I saw you making out with him on your porch, for crying out loud! Then when you find out that I got the phone call, all you could do is tell me how disappointed you were that I lied about my research! Have you not gotten over your love for him? Have you been living a lie all these years? I want the truth, Chloe."  
  
Chloe gripped his upper arms, wondering if she should scream or laugh at his words. Neither option was very appetizing, so she leaned her forehead against his and sighed. "Oh, Lex. You have no idea...*no idea* how passionately I love you. I wish you would believe me and stop being so insecure."  
  
Tilting her chin so that he could gaze into her beautiful eyes, he drew in a slow breath. "Tell me," he whispered, letting the air out, "tell me why you love me."  
  
**He's fishing for compliments at a time like this?** She was incredulous how self-centered he was being. "I-I've never had to put my feelings for you into words before."  
  
Lex's gaze was steady, his voice suddenly calm; his hands rested at his sides. He was collected. Mystified, she took a deep breath. His eyes never wavered from her face, he never so much as flinched.  
  
"Well, I love you because you're you."  
  
"That's not good enough, Chloe. Describe, in detail, exactly what about me is so lovable. Don't feel the need to censor yourself; just say whatever comes to mind. Throw in my faults, if you want to." No indication of what he was trying to accomplish.  
  
**He's certainly not being narcissistic. But what is he doing?** The reporter in her was desperate to answer that question, so she went along with her husband. "I love you because..." He was watching her, waiting. She continued. "I love you because, first and foremost, you're sexy. You're sexy because you're outwardly and inwardly beautiful. You're confident and outspoken, yet patient and gentle. You have a sentimental side, but only Lena--" Her voice caught, but he made no sign that he noticed. "-only she, Martha, and myself get to see it. You aren't afraid to let your guard down and be completely wild, however--such as the food fight last night. You're, perhaps, the sweetest, most considerate, most respectful man I've ever known. You're an amazing kisser, and you're very..good in bed." He didn't even crack a smile at her lewd remark. "You have some flaws, but they add to your absolute perfection."  
  
She blinked and focused her gaze on his beautiful hands which were folded in his lap. "You have fabulous hands. That sounds like a silly thing to say, but your hands are soft and comfortable; yet they reveal that you have a--this sounds really corny--quiet inner strength."  
  
If he had been the one talking about her, her ego would have been fed; she would have been grinning or making out with him, or both, despite the emptiness she felt. Yet, when she finished, he looked as though she'd just droned on about the stock market.  
  
"Tell me about my flaws." Once again, he sounded flat.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Lex, what are you doing?"  
  
"Tell me about my flaws."  
  
She chewed on her lower lip, darting her eyes back to his face. His own eyes drew her in again. "I don't want to offend you."  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Just remember that you asked for it...you can be really nasty sometimes; you don't let your temper flare up unless it's necessary, but when you do--you're awful. You don't argue well, for another thing; you're more stubborn than I am, you always refuse to back down. There are times when I fully expect you to--to hit me."  
  
She swallowed, then clenched and unclenched her hands. "But you don't. That's another thing I adore about you, Lex: you aren't at all like your father. Don't deny that you worry about that! Where he was abusive, you're simply firm. Where he was conniving and evil, you're curious. Maybe you're a bit unethical at times, but I think you mean well." She lowered her attention to his inviting lips. "I don't blame you for what happened. I don't, and I never--"  
  
"Stop talking about that," his flat voice demanded, one of his aforementioned hands touching her mouth. "If you mention how sorry you are again, I'll go back to bed. Understood?"  
  
Chloe nodded, not insulted by what he said; she knew he wasn't ordering her around. "Yes."  
  
His hand went back to his lap. "Describe what it was like for you when we first danced at that party, all those years ago. Then, tell me what our first kiss was like for you."  
  
**What the hell?** she asked herself again, still stumped. "Our first dance was a little awkward, to be honest; at the time I didn't know whether or not I liked you in any way. Still, I remember that I had just insulted you, or said something that made you visibly upset. I had never seen you that way, and I hated the pain in your eyes, hated knowing that I caused it. So I did the only thing I could: I told you that I loved the song that was playing, just so I could have an excuse to ask you to dance."  
  
She paused to gather her thoughts, not bothering to see if Lex had moved; she knew he hadn't. "The second you put your arms around my waist, I was overcome by a flood of emotions that usually only affected me when Clark was around; I felt tingly, dizzy, and extremely giddy. I wrote it off as nerves--I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of you, as much as I hate to admit it--but then you pulled me close so I was leaning against you, and I lost all control. I was on fire all over, as pathetic as that sounds"  
  
Biting her lip again, she recalled their first kiss. "We kissed after the dance. You said that it would be New Year's Day in some far away country two seconds from then. I asked if that country had a name, and you said that it probably did. Then, I realized that I wanted you to kiss me. It bothered me immensely that I, anti-mainstream Chloe Sullivan, wanted to be kissed by Smallville's most notorious--former, I hope--play boy. Still, I moved toward you."  
  
She paused again, once again thinking. "When I finally felt your lips, it wasn't like fireworks, as so many people say. It was more about honesty, as strange as that sounds. I can't put it into words."  
  
"Try," he prompted, as flat and emotionless as before.  
  
She nodded, then plowed ahead before she could change her mind about how to phrase her statement. "It was like you told me everything about yourself in those few, short seconds; like you divulged all your secrets, your wants, your desires...everything that you'd ever kept hidden suddenly became known to me. When it was over, I knew that I was head over heels in love with you. I also knew that I couldn't have truly loved Clark; that was just infatuation. But with you...wow. The next day, when I went to visit you, I thought that I would spontaneously combust when you smiled at me. Then we started to talk, and I said that I loved you. That was it; there was no turning back. Even before you said that you loved *me*, I knew you were the one. I suppose I was a little scared, which is why I kissed Clark that day. But it was always you, Lex." She concluded her rambling in a whisper.  
  
"How do you feel now?"  
  
She'd had enough. "What the hell, Lex?" Chloe snapped.  
  
"Right this second, Chloe, how do you feel?"  
  
Shutting her eyes, she delved into her soul; she wanted to tell him what he wanted to hear. When she opened her eyes once more to answer him, she was amazed by what she discovered. The despair had lifted. "I feel normal, Lex."  
  
It struck her; what he'd been trying to accomplish with all of his nosy questions was clear: he'd been trying to get her to remember sensations, emotions. When her comprehension glowed on her face, her husband broke into a sincere smile.  
  
"Thank you," she said softly,  
  
"You're welcome." His smile approached his eyes as he grabbed her hand and stroked her palm with his thumb.  
  
Though she didn't think she'd ever fully return to herself, Chloe felt good enough to playfully run her fingers over his scalp. "I don't want to talk anymore." He bent down to press his mouth against hers in a passionate, all-consuming kiss.  
  
Then his cell phone rang.  
  
* *  
  
"Answer it," she ordered, an edge returning to her voice.  
  
Lex needed no further encouragement. "Hello?" The scorn that filled the simple word was palpable.  
  
His body went rigid, his teeth clenched. "What do you want?" He listened for about five minutes, his sharp, beautiful features clouding with anger. "Did you hurt my daughter?"  
  
Chloe gasped when he held the phone a few inches away from his ear; the shrieks that traveled through the wire were deafening. She clamped a hand over her mouth and bolted toward the downstairs bathroom, where she was instantly sick.  
  
When she returned to the living room, shaking and pale, her husband was still talking. "Why do you want my research?" He made no efforts to keep the contempt out of his tone. "No. I won't give it up."  
  
**'No'? That's your daughter, you--** She censored herself before she mentally went off on him. All she could do was squeeze his free hand until his knuckles turned white. If there was one thing the reporter hated, it was being helpless.  
  
"Why. Did. You. Kidnap. My. Daughter?" He was seething, and gripping her hand so tightly that it went numb. "That's not a reason! Look, if you don't bring her back alive in the next twenty-four hours--I'm not afraid of you." More wails from their daughter. Chloe yanked her hand from his and covered her ears fiercely, the tears welling in her eyes.  
  
"That's an empty threat, and you know it as well as I do. When I find you, I'll have you killed. In fact, I might do it myself. That's one promise I'm going to fulfill." He didn't cry, didn't let himself get choked up.  
  
**Don't make them angry!** she pleaded.  
  
"You heard what I said." The dial tone blared and he snapped the receiver shut. He was trembling and gasping for breath.  
  
His earlier attempts to distract his wife from the emptiness she felt hadn't been wasted; instead of being numb, Chloe was filled with pure, unadulterated fear and loathing. She wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, and held him.  
  
"Lex," she whispered hoarsely, "what did they say?"  
  
He was fighting to breathe, and she first thought he was having an asthma attack; she didn't bother to recall that he'd been mysteriously cured of his childhood condition during the meteor shower. "They don't want ransom, they just want my research so they can kill Clark."  
  
* *  
  
Six-fifteen in the morning. Chloe and Lex were still on the couch, no longer touching. Martha was puttering around in the kitchen, having said that she had to do something to keep from breaking down. Kyle was in Lex's office, checking out the taped phone call.  
  
"Want some eggs?" Martha asked quietly, coming out of the kitchen, sounding as though she'd been sobbing.  
  
"No," Lex said flatly, staring straight through her.  
  
"No, Martha, thanks," Chloe whispered. She gave Lex a sideways hug and pressed her face against the crisp, white shirt he'd thrown on an hour before. "I suppose we just have to wait," she remarked unnecessarily. The silence and her inability to do anything were beginning to drive her mad.  
  
"What else is there to do?" was the rhetorical reply. He finally turned his head and forced himself to smile at her. "We've made it this far, Chloe." He couldn't find it in himself to use her nickname.  
  
A question popped into her head. "Why didn't they just take your findings outright?"  
  
Lex was quiet for several minutes, thinking about what she'd asked. "That would be too simple, I guess; but I really don't know how to answer that."  
  
Footsteps in the hallway made them dart around, naked hope on their faces. Kyle shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "It's gotta be from a pay phone. The person was obviously disguising his or her voice...I'm so sorry."  
  
"I told them I would kill them," Lex announced loudly, causing his wife to jump. "I mean it."  
  
Kyle stood in front of the couch, holding the tapping device loosely in one hand. "I know you're angry, Lex, but I don't know if saying those things was the best idea."  
  
"Why not?" He was getting confrontational. "They won't harm her as long as they don't have my papers!"  
  
The detective rested a hand on Lex's shoulder. "Refusing to give up your files wasn't the right thing to do; that just made him angrier, and more likely to do something reckless."  
  
Chloe blanched. "I didn't need to hear that."  
  
The sound of the phone ringing made everyone cease their discussion. After staring at it for a full thirty seconds, Lex snatched it. "Hello?" he barked. "Clark..." He sank against the cushion in relief.  
  
"Clark!" Chloe yelped, suddenly animated. She wrestled the unit from Lex and clamped it against her own ear. "Clark, you have no idea how glad I am to hear your voice."  
  
Leaning over, Lex tried vainly to hear the other half of the conversation.  
  
"What have you heard?" Chloe's forehead furrowed. "What? Why would he do that?" She switched the receiver to her other ear. "You're kidding! Are you okay? That's fantastic. Here, talk to our private detective."  
  
Kyle fumbled with the phone before ordering Clark to, "talk."  
  
Lex's eyes were pleading with her to reveal what Clark had said. "What? Tell me," he whispered, visibly anxious. "Did he find her?"  
  
Chloe was silent until Kyle was finished. "They paid Clark a visit when Lois was at work, posing as delivery men. Obviously they don't know everything about him; they tried to give him a tranquilizer shot. He fought one of them, but the other had a meteor rock in his pocket so Clark was helpless against him. He did, however, use his x-ray vision to see inside the wallets of both men. They had IDs, though he thinks they might be fake. He also has the license plate number and can identify them completely."  
  
"How did they know that Clark is Superman? Why is this good news? Did Clark see Lena? Why didn't he trail them?" Lex was filled with questions, and he was fully prepared to do his own investigating if he didn't get some answers.  
  
"He doesn't know how they knew," Kyle broke in, pacing swiftly around the room. "This is great news, Lex, because it means they came out of hiding. We can also run the plate number, though if they're smart they'll ditch the vehicle. He didn't follow them because, at the time, he didn't know Lena was missing; he actually thought that they were working for you, which is why he called."  
  
"Oh, that's fabulous," Lex muttered with plenty of sarcasm. "How is that supposed to bring our Lena back? Damn Clark and his weakness!"  
  
Chloe started to rub his back, but he pushed her hands away. "Sweetie, it's a bigger lead than we had. We'll get her back." Though she was a bit more optimistic, her face was still heavy with worry.  
  
"I'll go make some calls and see if we can't trace the car and/or the men." Kyle was all business, striding purposefully back to Lex's office.  
  
Martha came out of the kitchen again, wiping her damp hands on the long-sleeved blue shirt she wore. Motioning for Chloe to scoot over, she lowered herself onto the couch. "Lex, you know Clark would've helped if he had known."  
  
"That doesn't bring our daughter home, now does it?" he snapped. "Who told him, anyway?"  
  
Kyle returned to the room and sank his long body onto an armchair that matched the couch. "About your daughter? I just did. He said that he'll do what he can."  
  
"'Do what he can', great. If he seriously thought that those bastards were working for me, then he obviously doesn't tru--"  
  
"Shut up, Lex!" Chloe yelped.  
  
His eyes widened at the annoyance in her voice, but he obeyed.  
  
"What did you find out, Kyle?" Chloe continued, turning toward the detective.  
  
He rubbed the bridge of his nose as though he were warding off a tension headache. "The car is registered to the men who visited Clark, but whether they're using fake identities--which is more than a strong possibility--we don't know."  
  
"Do you have an address, or anything?" Martha spoke up, her arms around Lex and Chloe's shoulders in a gesture of comfort.  
  
When Kyle nodded, Chloe stifled a gasp. **He knows where my baby is!** she thought, though she knew she was being unrealistic. **It's never that easy** she reminded herself.  
  
"We know where they were residing last time they were busted for drug possession. I wanted to talk it over with you before I sent a team there to check it out. But, I can get some people out there immediately."  
  
Lex shook his head fiercely. "No. We're going."  
  
"Lex, don't be stupid," his wife said bluntly.  
  
Twisting so he could look at her, he frowned. "You said that you wanted to help with this."  
  
"With *finding* them. I don't want you to put yourself in any unnecessary danger!"  
  
He reached across Martha to grasp Chloe's hand. "I won't. Come on, what happened to the gung-ho, risk-taking Chloe Sullivan I married?" he asked softly.  
  
"She got pregnant and a little wiser," was the flat response.  
  
Despite the tension he felt, Lex chuckled. "If you say so."  
  
Kyle, who had been watching the exchange silently, held up a large hand. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but we've been wasting time. Are you all coming with me, or not?"  
  
"Yes," Chloe announced, surprising her husband. "It's my daughter, after all. Shouldn't we have police backup, though?"  
  
"I don't want the police involved, because, then, this will become a front-page story. I'm not doing that to Lena." Lex said this while pulling Chloe to her feet. "I have a gun in my office. I'll go get it." He rushed off.  
  
This was news to Chloe. She gaped at Kyle. "He has a *gun*? Why do I always get told these things at the last minute?"  
  
"Maybe he didn't want to alarm you," Martha suggested, stretching her arms and yawning. "I'm going too, just so you know."  
  
Lex arrived, shot gun in hand, in time to hear the last part. "You sure?"  
  
"*Yes*."  
  
He smirked and pocketed the weapon, then slipped his arm around his wife's waist. "M'kay. Let's go."  
  
"We'll take my car," Kyle announced, leading the way to the front door.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED 


	7. Back to You

Couple(s): Chloe/Lex  
  
Rating: PG-13 for language  
  
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me  
  
Spoilers for: the rest of the series  
  
Author's Note: Hopefully this is the last chapter, though I'm not making any promises. The title comes from the John Mayer song of the same name.  
  
Back to You  
  
The heavy tension in the car was mixed with hope. No one spoke; the passengers only held each other's hands and prayed. Prayed for Lena and a small miracle. Kyle was driving almost as fast as Lex usually did, but Chloe didn't yell at him. She could think about nothing but her daughter.  
  
Next to her, Lex's mouth was set in a grim line, his eyes framed with worry. He was too familiar with criminals and their schemes to be the slightest bit optimistic. There was a small, infinitesimal part of him, however, that was open to the thought that their 'surprise ambush' would be successful. He tried as intensely as he could to hold onto that.  
  
Martha was on Chloe's other side, and she was rubbing the latter's back gently. Clark's mother was no stranger to the kind of fear that the Luthors felt; for years she woke up and was certain that someone had captured Clark and dragged him to a remote lab for tests. Sometimes that thought still petrified her.  
  
It was Kyle who first broke the thirty minute silence. His old, non- descript undercover vehicle suddenly rolled to a stop and he quietly cut the engine. "It's just up the road. When we get there, I'll get out and investigate. If I give you guys an 'okay' signal, it means that you can join me. If I don't--if they're there--I want Lex to prepare to back me up." He tossed something heavy and thick into the backseat.  
  
The billionaire held the bulletproof vest in his hands, a renewed sense of purpose in his blazing eyes. After a beat, he slipped on the garment over his shirt. He then removed his gun from the pocket of his dress pants and began to load it.  
  
"In the *car*?" Chloe asked, incredulous.  
  
Her husband faced her for a moment, his face hardening. "Shut up, Chloe," he whispered.  
  
Recalling that she'd ordered him to do the same an hour or so earlier, Chloe simply nodded.  
  
The car bumped along the back road again, and the three people in the back instinctively hunched down. As they were turning toward the apparently abandoned garage, a red Ferrari screeched by them, leaving tread marks in its path.  
  
"That's them," Kyle hissed, shoving the steering wheel abruptly to the left.  
  
"*Wait*," Lex shouted, fumbling with his seat belt and reaching for the door handle.  
  
"What the *hell*?" Martha asked firmly; hearing her swear would have shocked the rest, if they hadn't been distracted by other things.  
  
"*Lex, get back in here*!" Kyle shouted over his shoulder as he continued to chase the speeding car.  
  
It was too late; the bald man was miraculously out of the racing vehicle and already rushing toward the garage.  
  
* * *  
  
He didn't know how he managed to not kill himself when he rolled onto the road, but Lex really didn't care about pointless details just then. When Kyle had whipped the car around, a flash of movement had caught the other man's eye. Granted he acted impulsively, but he had a hunch. Chloe had taught him to never go against his gut feeling.  
  
His expensive leather dress shoes were barely made for extensive walking, let alone a half mile run. He knew, though, that they'd have to do; he didn't have time to worry about stupid things like footwear. Hell, stupid things like footwear would never concern him ever again if his daughter got out of the fiasco alive.  
  
A compact black car was hidden behind an empty dumpster, he noticed when he reached the garage. There was no sign that anyone had used it for years, but, again, he had a hunch.  
  
Using all of his strength, he pushed up the door that covered the main room. "You better be in here, bastards," he mumbled to himself, gun at the ready. Wincing at the burning pain in his hands--the door was heavier than he'd originally thought--he stealth fully glided inside.  
  
* * *  
  
*If Lex dies, I'll be a single mother. I'll have to raise two children on my own. My God.* That thought--as selfish as it was-- continually raced through Chloe's petrified brain. Occasionally it alternated with, *why didn't I chase after him?*  
  
Kyle was gaining on the renegade Ferrari; his teeth were grinding together, and he kept mumbling obscenities under his breath. "I should've called for bloody backup," she heard him mutter more than once, followed by a swear word that, as a mother, made her cringe.  
  
"It'll be okay," Martha whispered, exuding an air of calmness that she prayed would rub off on her distraught friend; every muscle in Chloe's small body was tense, and it showed on her face. "Lex and Lena will be fine. He knows what he's doing."  
  
"Like Hell he does. He thinks being a hero is easy, but he has no--" Chloe's whispered rant was cut off when the driver they were tailing slammed on his brakes.  
  
"Holy..." Kyle yelped, unable to finish the curse as he struggled to keep the car on the road.  
  
* * *  
  
His shoes tapping against the concrete floor made the only sound. After a second, he bent down and yanked them off. He threw the first one directly in front of him, hoping it would give him some idea as to what lurked in the darkness.  
  
Despite himself, Lex started when it crashed into a pile of metal tools. "I know you're here somewhere," he called, projecting self- assurance that he certainly didn't feel.  
  
Scurrying feet somewhere behind him. Whirling around, he readied the gun with one hand, and grasped his shoe with the other. "Show yourself, bastard."  
  
A dim, dirty light bulb flickered on, adding a strange illumination to the room. "Gladly."  
  
* * *  
  
As a journalist, Chloe knew that the first thing to do in an unusual situation is to examine the facts. Closing her eyes against the pain in her right leg, she centered herself. *What do you know, Chloe?* They were upside down in a ditch, that much she could deduce. What she didn't know was the state her fellow passengers were in.  
  
"Martha, Kyle," she called, wincing when she heard how quiet and scratchy her voice had become. If she rotated a few inches to the right, she could see Martha--  
  
The older women's face was ashen, but she was visibly breathing. Her eyes were closed, but she sensed that she was being watched. "Chloe," she gasped. Chloe's shaking hand reached out and clasped Martha's cold, clammy one.  
  
"Kyle, are you okay?" No answer.  
  
Coughing harshly, Chloe tried again. "Kyle!"  
  
Nothing.  
  
The women faced each other as best they could and began to tremble.  
  
* * *  
  
The man was tall, lanky, and the kind of person Chloe would have considered handsome--his firm face was softened by dark, wavy hair and grayish eyes that glittered in the weak light. Judging from his wardrobe, he was fairly well-off. "Hello, Luthor." The gravelly voice was so familiar and evil that Lex felt a chill run up his spine.  
  
"Where the hell is my daughter?" he asked evenly, his tone telling the man to cut the bullshit.  
  
Lex braced himself as the man took a step forward. Instead of charging the billionaire, he yanked the lid off of a dusty wooden crate that had been hiding under a tarp.  
  
"Oh, my--you *bastard!*" Lena was curled up on the bottom of the crate, her skin almost transparent, her ribs visible through her naked body. Lex didn't know whether to start firing or be sick. Apparently his body decided for him, for he heaved.  
  
When he straightened up, his daughter's captor was grinning. "Oh, please. Shoot me. You'll go down as, 'Lex Luthor--the multi-billionaire who was trying to kill Superman then went on a murderous rampage.'"  
  
The gun clicked as he cocked it. "You forgot the bit about me rescuing my daughter." He was calm now, made so by the thought of the bastard's blood all over the ground.  
  
"Oh, don't worry about that; the press with make you a child abuser too. This'll be fantastic!" He rubbed his palms together gleefully.  
  
Then Lex fired.  
  
* * *  
  
The whereabouts of the car that they were chasing in the first place were unknown. Chloe decided that, if the driver had wanted to see them die, he would've checked on them. She told herself that he had most likely been distracting them while his partner did whatever he had to do.  
  
Her leg had gone numb, and a bizarre pinching filled her stomach. She began to feel woozy, and she intuitively knew she was losing the baby. "I'm sorry, Lex," was all she could mumble before she passed out.  
  
* * *  
  
He was too stunned to move. He, Lex Luthor, had killed someone, all for the sake of his daughter. It didn't bother him as much as it would have, had he not gone through the trauma of losing his child. In fact, it felt pretty empty.  
  
Ignoring the limp body, he marched toward the grate and gingerly lifted Lena. Settling her in the crook of his arm, he groped for a pulse on the side of her neck. It was faint, but there. He slipped out of the vest and his shirt, wrapping the latter around her, letting the former drop to the floor.  
  
"Let's get you home, sweetie," he whispered hoarsely, tears threatening to fall. So he let them.  
  
* * *  
  
Strong arms were pulling her, a gentle hand was stroking her forehead, a voice was whispering sweet nothings to her. With great effort, Chloe pried her eyes open. She was startled to discover that she was lying on a gurney in the back of a speeding ambulance. Lex was smiling down at her, his face damp. He'd been crying.  
  
"Hi, beautiful," he whispered, bending down to brush a kiss across her forehead.  
  
She was hooked up to an oxygen mask, she realized upon trying to speak. Taking deep, grateful breaths, Chloe stared at her husband, forcing herself to remember everything that had just happened.  
  
"She's going to be okay," he continued, speaking of their daughter. "She's malnourished and beaten, but the doctors said that we can bring her home after a few days. We'll see her when we get to the hospital. Martha has a mild concussion and a broken rib, but she'll be up and running in no time. Kyle-" he paused, "-Kyle didn't make it."  
  
The fog was lifting from her mind slowly, and Chloe finally processed what he was telling her: their daughter was alive. Their Lena had returned to them.  
  
An ambulance attendant, who had been politely sitting in the corner, spoke up. "Missus Luthor, you're going to be fine. We need to run a few tests and bandage your ankle--you sprained it pretty badly, by the way--but you can go home tonight." He removed the mask from her mouth after checking her vital signs, and helped her to sit.  
  
"The baby," was the first thing she could coherently say, noticing that the pains in her abdomen had stopped. "Did we...lose it?"  
  
Lex pressed her face to his chest and massaged the back of her neck. She braced herself, fearing the worst. "No, no; he's fine."  
  
"We're having a boy?" she replied. They hadn't want to find out the gender beforehand but--  
  
"Yes," he whispered, tilting her chin so he could see her eyes, "we are."  
  
Then doors were opening and she was being wheeled inside the building. After a few examinations and a tearful visit with her baby, she fell asleep on a hospital bed, wrapped in Lex's arms.  
  
* * *  
  
Lex bolted up the manor's front steps a few days later, telling his wife to be careful.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Chloe shot back, hobbling into the kitchen, clutching Lena to her chest.  
  
"You could hurt yourself, damnit," he insisted, reaching her side.  
  
When she rolled her eyes, he found himself grinning. "I could hurt myself working, too, Lex; my laptop could spontaneously combust. Are you going to follow me around the office all day and watch over me?"  
  
"Point taken." He kissed her lips quickly then gladly accepted their daughter while Chloe fixed her a bottle using the special formula the hospital had given them. "Everything okay in there?" he yelled into the living room, where Clark was helping his mother get settled.  
  
"Delightful," Superman's alter ego shot back.  
  
Lena cooed, and he focused on her. A goofy smile spread on his face as he looked at her. "I missed you more than anything, pumpkin," he whispered in his 'baby talk' voice. "Who's daddy's little angel, hmm?" He lifted her over his head and chuckled when she made happy noises.  
  
"'Daddy's little angel' needs to eat," Chloe said sternly, resting their daughter against her arm and tilting the bottle toward the girl's open mouth.  
  
"Yes'm," Lex said obediently. "I have something to take care of anyway. I'll be in my office."  
  
Concern visible on her now-relaxed face, Chloe faced him for a second. "What are you going to be doing?"  
  
"You're welcome to come see," he replied cryptically.  
  
Glancing into the living room--Clark was sitting on the floor, chatting animatedly with Martha, who was lying on the couch--Lex crept into his office.  
  
Chloe continued to feed Lena as she watched her husband. He purposefully yanked open the top drawer of his desk and removed a tiny key from his secret hiding place. The private compartment in his desk popped open, and he pulled out the computer disk that was inside it.  
  
He tossed that into his metal garbage can, then pulled a half dozen file folders, crammed with loose papers and printouts, from another drawer. Those joined the disk. Lex raised his head and met his wife's eyes. He held her gaze while he pulled a cigarette lighter from his shirt pocket and flicked it on.  
  
"You're not..." she began in an awed whisper.  
  
Lex allowed the contents of the can to burn for a good five minutes before he pulled a small fire extinguisher off the wall. He squirted the garbage until the flames stopped. "Look," he said quietly.  
  
Baby in arms, Chloe approached his side. The disk and papers had been reduced to an unrecognizable pile of ashes. "I can't believe you did that. I'm so happy I can't even begin to tell you!"  
  
He wound his arm around her waist and smiled. "I promise that all my research stops immediately." His voice and eyes were firm and sincere.  
  
Chloe was too overcome by a flood of emotions to speak. She could only nod as he led her into the living room.  
  
Things were going to be okay after all.  
  
FINIS 


	8. Beside You

Couple(s): Chloe/Lex  
  
Rating: G/PG  
  
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me. The title comes from the Tal Bachman song of the same name.  
  
Spoilers for: minor references to the last few chapters  
  
Author's Note: In preparation for a sequel that I may or may not write--I'll have to see if I get inspired--here's a quick, pure schmoopy chapter from Lex's POV. After the tramua I put them through, I thought they needed a break. Be warned: it gets cliched and predictable toward the end. Ah, well.  
  
******  
  
Beside You  
  
They kicked me out after five minutes. *Five minutes*. Something must have been seriously wrong for that to happen; when Lena was born I was allowed to remain in the room the whole time. I loved being by Chloe's side, holding her hand, letting her swear at me. Really, it was the second greatest day of my life. (The first being the day I married her, of course.)  
  
"Lex, relax," Martha called from one of the uncomfortable plastic visitor's chairs that rested in the lobby of the hospital. "Everything will be fine."  
  
I didn't break my stride when I turned to give her a look. It crossed my mind to mention that she'd never had her own children and, thus, couldn't possibly have known if everything was, in fact, okay. Just in time, though, I realized how cruel that would've sounded. So I bit my tongue until it bled and continued to pace the squeaky, tiled floor. The buzzing of the flourescent lights was almost calming; it gave me something upon which to focus.  
  
"Everything's not fine," I finally shot back, turning on my heel and headed back toward her. "Why did they ask me to leave this time?"  
  
Clark's mother was in front of me, and I let her guide me to a chair. "Sit," she ordered, smirking. "I'm going to get you some coffee." She glanced at my legs, which were bouncing, and amended her statement. "On second thought, I'll just get you some water." She hurried off.  
  
I took notice of my surroundings, trying to give myself something else to do. The walls were somewhere between off-white and pastel yellow; the aforementioned lights weren't making it easy to tell. The entire floor smelled of disinfectant and another, less intense odor. A cheerful receptionist was behind a large desk that put mine to shame. Every so often her phone would ring and she would answer it with a fake, sugary voice.  
  
"This your first time?"  
  
My head whipped around, and I struggled to regain my composure. I found myself staring at a man a few years older than myself; he was holding a magazine--it looked like 'Sports Illustrated'--and smirking at me.  
  
My mind being...not as sharp as usual, it took me a second to realize what he meant. When it occurred to me, I shook my head. "No, second."  
  
His bushy, blonde eyebrows raised. "Really? And you're still that nervous?" His deep voice was amused.  
  
*Control yourself, Lex. It won't do any good to freak out in front of a stranger* Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to smile. "I was kicked out after five minutes; last time I stayed for the whole event." 'The whole event?' M'kay, Lex.  
  
He nodded sagely, as though he'd been through millions of deliveries. "This is my sixth; I've been sent out many times. Don't worry; they probably just don't want you to distract your wife."  
  
When I headed for the door a few minutes before, I snuck one last look at Chloe; despite the fact that she was covered in sweat, her was hair in disarray, and her face was contorted in pain, she was more beautiful than I've ever seen her. I don't mean that to be cliched--she really does look fantastic when she stops worrying about her appearance.  
  
Anyway, when I glanced back at her, she was staring at me. She didn't want me to leave anymore than I wanted to. I think I blew her a kiss and whispered, 'I love you', but I was too paranoid to remember exactly what it was I did.  
  
"Here, drink this," Martha ordered, thrusting a paper cup in my hand.  
  
I didn't see how water--simple H2O--would calm my nerves, but I decided to humor her. I tilted the cup back and gulped its contents. "Thank you," I muttered, tapping my foot against the floor to keep from pacing again.  
  
"Maybe I should call Gabe and make sure Lena's okay," I said quickly, standing before she could stop me.  
  
With a sigh, Martha followed me to a nearby pay phone, plucked the receiver from my fingers, and led me back to my chair. "He's perfectly capable of watching his granddaughter for a while. You know that."  
  
"I have to do *something*, else I'll lose my mind sitting here. Waiting. I *hate waiting!*" I heard myself shriek; then I cringed--I didn't really think embarrassing myself would make the time go faster.  
  
Martha smiled sympathetically and patted my back. "Call the plant. I'm sure there's some future crisis that you can avert. You're good at that stuff."  
  
"Are you mocking me, Martha?"  
  
She held up her warm, calloused hands in defeat. "Not at all! I'm only thinking of things you can do to pass time."  
  
My cell phone was in the pocket of my coat. I groped around behind me, discovered that my really expensive leather coat was on the *floor*-- ARG!--and struggled to yank my phone from one of the pockets. "You know," I muttered to Martha as I examined the little black device, "I could have called the best doctors in Metropolis, had them do the delivery at home. But no: Chloe wanted to go to the hospital; she said it made her feel less pretentious. If I'd called my doctors, I could be with her right--"  
  
There was a scream from somewhere down the hall, then a baby wailed, and a doctor announced that the woman had given birth to a boy...  
  
My heart beat faster and I bolted out of my chair as a door opened and a female doctor stepped outside. "Mister Thompson, congratulations!"  
  
The man with whom I'd conversed shortly marched proudly down the hall to greet his sixth child. I was envious. And anxious. And still paranoid. And terribly afraid that I would continue to babble endlessly about doctors and natural childbirth. I was a mess.  
  
"I need some coffee, Martha," I whispered.  
  
My feet were still clicking against the floor--it sounded like they were tapping to the tune of an old Black Sabbath song, but I no longer had control of my reflexes so I have no idea--but she nodded in acquiescence. "Okay. If you think you can handle it."  
  
A shrill buzzing noise made me start in surprise. "What's that?" I asked Martha, who hadn't left yet, aware that my voice was shaking.  
  
She laughed that time. "Your phone's ringing, Lex. Can I leave to get coffee now, or do you need me?"  
  
*Right; it's your phone. Calm down. No need to get bent out of shape.* "Go ahead. I think I'll be okay."  
  
Once she walked purposefully down the hall, I flipped open my phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Hello, Lex. Is everything all right?"  
  
"Gabe," I returned calmly, "everything's fine." I wasn't going to alarm my father-in-law; I had to keep it together for his sake. After all, he gave his daughter to me, of all people; I didn't need to cause him more stress by making him worry about her.  
  
In the background, I heard Lena squealing about something. The sound made me grin. "Is everything okay over there?" I asked, curious as to why he was calling.  
  
My daughter stopped making noise, and I heard him tell her to quiet down; it was naptime. I was tempted to let him know that she never went down for a nap willingly, but then I remembered that he was a father. He knew things like that. "Everything's cool. I wanted to see how things were going, that's all. Send Chloe my love."  
  
Martha returned. I accepted a styrofoam cup gratefully, giving her a smile. "I'll do that. Kiss my daughter for me."  
  
"Will do. Bye, Lex."  
  
Slipping the phone back in my coat with much difficulty--it's harder than it looks to turn around in a hospital chair, especially when you're also holding a hot beverage--I sighed. "That was Gabe."  
  
Martha nodded and sipped her own coffee. "Are you relaxed finally?" she wondered, her tone teasing.  
  
My palms were sweaty, so I wiped them on my pants. She chuckled at this. "Oh, yeah. I'm fantastic. Seriously. Talking to Gabe kind of calmed me down, though I don't know why."  
  
There was another shriek of pain, another slapping sound, another baby crying. After a quick survelliance of the waiting area, I discovered that I was the only 'father-to-be' in attendance. *That can only mean one thing.* "Fantastic," I repeated under my breath.  
  
A smiling male doctor meandered out of another room, then approached Martha and myself. "Congratulations, Mister Luthor--" I didn't let him get any farther than that; I hurtled down the hall and rushed into the room, not acknowledging the squeak of my shoes against the floor.  
  
"Hey, sexy," Chloe whispered, grinning at me.  
  
"Hi, love." I was at her side in an instant. When I glanced down, I noticed that she wasn't holding anything. "Where's our baby?" I asked, anxiety creeping back into my voice.  
  
She laughed tiredly and pulled me onto the bed next to her. "The nurses are cleaning him off, honey. Don't worry."  
  
I swallowed, flushing with embarrassment. *Of course* they were cleaning him off. "How are you doing?" I asked quietly, taking one of her hands.  
  
"I'm bloody magnificent, Lex. I think I'll go run a marathon now," she said, completely deadpan, her voice revealing the exhaustion she tried to cover up.  
  
I laughed, then said, "you have no idea how much I love you, Clo." As I bent down to kiss her, she sighed.  
  
"You know I love you more than anything," she whispered in my ear before I straightened up.  
  
Footsteps in the hallway. We craned our necks, vainly attempting to see who was coming.  
  
"Congratulations, Luthors!" a chipper male nurse announced, holding a blue bundle in his arms. "I believe this belongs to you." The bundle was in my arms, and I suddenly couldn't breathe.  
  
Next to me, Chloe sucked in her own breath and sniffled. She gently pushed the edge of the blanket away from our son's face; he opened his eyes- -which were the brightest, clearest blue I'd ever seen--and yawned.  
  
Facing my beloved wife, I had to fight back tears. She was already crying silently, grinning broadly. "He looks like you," she managed to say, while she stroked his cheek.  
  
He had my nose and mouth, but, "he has your eyes," I told her, dangerously close to breaking down myself.  
  
Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she reached for him. Reluctantly I parted with the soft bundle; even though we had Lena--who, by the way, was recovering well from the trauma of the month before--the feel of a baby in my arms was still indescribably wonderful. "We should think of a name," I suggested.  
  
She nodded, studying his face. The sight of her so ecstatic was enough to, finally, make me cry. After a moment, she glanced up, smiled, and slid her hand down my cheek. I grasped that hand and continued to hold it while we exclaimed over the newest addition to our family.  
  
*That certainly wasn't trite, Lex* At that second, I didn't care how cliched my thoughts were; I was giddy.  
  
"Where's Martha?" Chloe wondered. She was no longer crying, but she was still grinning. As was I.  
  
There was no way I was going to leave the room, even for a second; even to call Martha inside. "She must want to give us some privacy."  
  
A voice broke in and someone walked inside. "I was running outside to get my camera; forget about this privacy stuff."  
  
"Martha," my wife said excitedly, giving the older woman a one-armed hug. "Isn't he beautiful?"  
  
"He's gorgeous. He looks like you both," she remarked, smiling brightly.  
  
"Want to hold him?" Chloe offered, extending our son.  
  
With an enthusiastic nod, Martha gingerly rested him against her arm and began to make cooing sounds; much like Chloe and I had been doing before. Babies have that effect on people.  
  
I admit that when I was an irresponsible, partying teenager reveling in the wonders of the Metropolis nightlife, having children of my own seemed like an incredibly stupid concept; I certainly couldn't fathom spending my days changing diapers, fixing bottles, and crawling around on the floor.  
  
That was before Chloe came along. I don't want to sound completely sappy, but she honestly made me want to be a better person. She's so honest, respectful, and trusting; I knew I wanted to be worthy of her respect. When we started dating--if you could use that word to describe what we did for those four years--I was mystified as to why she loved me as much as she claimed she did.  
  
It still amazes me how, after about eight years with her, I suddenly wanted children, with her and only her. I wanted to wake up in the morning and have something other than the plant to care for. I wanted something to prove to her that I was truly deserving of her love and trust.  
  
*Wow. Being madly in love, married, and content beyond belief has made you schmoopy, Lex* I told that part of my brain to shut up permanently, and then turned back to my son.  
  
"Hi," I whispered, gladly taking him from Martha. "You have no idea how happy you've made me, and we just met. You've turned your father into a babbling, grinning dork. I hope you realize how special that makes you; only your mother and your sister have managed to do that before."  
  
I vowed again--as I'd done when I held Lena for the first time--that I would continue to ward off the Luthor cycle of neglect and meglomania. No children of mine will be forced into business, nor will they ever be forgotten.  
  
"Lex, sweetie, hey," Chloe spoke up, her voice slurred from exhaustion. "What are you thinking about? You've been staring at him for ten minutes." She massaged the back of my neck for a moment, getting my attention.  
  
"Nothing," I replied nonchalantly, "just thinking about...nothing." I didn't think she needed to hear my private vow; it's not that she wouldn't have understood, only that she would have reminded me that the Luthor traditions I worried about ended when my father passed.  
  
"He fell asleep," she whispered suddenly, running her fingers over his forehead lightly.  
  
So he had. "Any thoughts about names?"  
  
Chloe nodded, and I motioned for her to elaborate. However, before she could, Martha stood and stretched. "I should be going; you guys look like you could use some rest. Remember if you need anything at all, give me a call."  
  
Smiling, Chloe kissed Martha's cheek. "Thanks, I'll remember that. I'm on leave for the next three weeks, so you don't have to come over unless you'd like to."  
  
"Not that we wouldn't love to see you," I interjected.  
  
With a chuckle, Clark's mother bent over and kissed our son's forehead. "I'll see what happens tomorrow. Let me know when you've thought of a name."  
  
Somehow, Chloe and I had the same idea at precisely the same time. I don't know how it happened, but we both blurted out, "how about Jonathan?"  
  
At the mention of her late husband, Martha's breath hitched. "It's your decision," she choked out.  
  
I grinned again, giving her a warm hug. "Yes, and that's what we've decided."  
  
A shaky smile crossed her lips, her eyes lit up; not simply because of the gesture, I assume, but because she recalled that her husband and I hadn't gotten along; to put it mildly. I never held any animosity toward the late, lamented John Kent, but he disapproved of my friendship with his son. Over the years I grew to respect him, and he seemed to get used to me. Naming our son after him was my way of showing that I forgave him for all the harsh words that he'd fired at me. (It also happens that I love the name, but that's not as important.)  
  
"'Bye, guys. Bye, Jonathan." Martha gave the newly-dubbed John a long look. "I'll call you tomorrow, Clo."  
  
"Or I'll call you," Chloe shot back.  
  
With one last wave, Martha left.  
  
Almost as soon as the door shut softly behind our friend, Chloe's eyes began to flutter closed. I rested Jonathan in her arms, then laid down next to her. "Want to know what I was really thinking about?" I kissed her passionately just after I spoke, not letting her reply for several moments.  
  
When we broke apart, her eyes glittered. "That better *not* have been what you were thinking, Lex. Two is enough for now."  
  
I laughed out loud, surprised by her comment; as I usually am. "I was thinking about you and the kids and how much you've changed me since way back when."  
  
Chuckling, she ran her fingers over my scalp teasingly, all the while fighting to stay awake. "I changed you, did I? Pray, tell how I did that?"  
  
"Just by being you," I said honestly. When she made a face, I fought back another laugh; I didn't want to wake our son.  
  
"Wow, I guess parenthood does make one spout platitudes all the time," she remarked with a smirk.  
  
"Being in love with the most amazing woman in the quadrant does that too."  
  
Her eyebrows raised. "Not in the galaxy?"  
  
"I thought that would be too much."  
  
She yawned again. "Can I go to sleep now?"  
  
I kissed her again. "Nothing was stopping you before; you were the one who wanted to hear what I had to say," I teased.  
  
"Can't argue with that logic," she mumbled. "Will you take him? As much as I want to hold him, I'm afraid I'll do something really stupid-- like drop him on the floor--while I sleep."  
  
Biting back the urge to say that she couldn't do anything stupid if she tried, I carefully placed John in my arms, hoping I wouldn't wake him. "We'll stay here while you sleep," I assured her.  
  
"Of course you will; there's no way I'd let you leave after what you just put me through." So she wasn't too exhausted to be snarky. How I love her.  
  
"Yes'm," I retorted, running my free hand through her hair when she snuggled closer to me. "I love you."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I love you too. Now shut up, will you?"  
  
I shortly joined my wife and son in sleep; an hour later John woke us up, interrupting a beautiful dream involving Chloe and flower petals. It didn't matter that the images vanished as soon as I opened my eyes.  
  
I had the real thing--plus much more than I thought I deserved--and I'd take that over a dream any day.  
  
FINIS 


End file.
